


Kurt Anderson and Blaine Hummel

by klaineanummel



Series: Kurt Anderson and Blaine Hummel [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-04-14
Packaged: 2017-12-03 04:28:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 94,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/694125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klaineanummel/pseuds/klaineanummel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meet Kurt Anderson and Blaine Hummel.  Their lives are not what they thought they’d be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Kurt Anderson groaned as a stream of light hit him on the side of his face, where his right eye was located. He turned away from the sun light and the pain it had produced in his head and was met with the feel of a warm body against his own and the stale smell of alcohol. He sighed and sat up, pointed ignoring his pounding headache and the fact that he was naked as the day he was born beside he fellow Warbler and best friend Sebastian Smythe. 

He mumbled a quiet, “Not again,” and then went to get out of bed when strong arms wrapped around his waist and attempted to pull him into Sebastian’s chest. Kurt rolled his eyes- and then hissed because _ow_ \- and slapped the hands away; he constantly forgot what a cuddle whore Sebastian was the morning after. He blamed his memory lapse on the fact that normally he was sober enough to force Sebastian out of his bed as soon as they were done. Apparently he had been so far gone the night before that he had allowed Sebastian to stay instead of forcing him to make the ten second trek across the room to his own bed. He wondered what else he had done the night before that he never would have done sober. 

His question was answered a couple of minutes later, after he had managed to wrestle himself out of Sebastian’s hold and moved across the room to check his phone- almost throwing up when he bent down to pick up the only piece of clothing on the ground- and found ten missed calls; all from his brother and parents. 

“Shit,” apparently his father had left him a voicemail and Cooper had left him two. He stared at the phone, deep down knowing that nothing good could possibly come from his father having left him a voice mail. He was too hung over for this…

He made his way to the en suite bathroom where he and Sebastian kept a bottle of aspirin and a glass. After swallowing the aspirin, draining a glass of water, and sub sequentially almost throwing up again he got his first look at himself in the mirror. He instantly groaned.

The first thing he noticed was that he was wearing _Sebastian’s_ underwear, not his own, and that they made his hips look absolutely tiny due to how large they were on him. He almost groaned at the sheer amount of hickeys littering his chest and neck. There was no way that he would be able to hide that with his blazer. He made a mental note to ask Jeff if he had some concealer he could borrow. His eyes flickered up this time he couldn’t hold back the grown at his awful bedhead. If there was a reason to never get drunk again, it would be his hair. Sebastian was a hair puller and God, did his hair suffer for it.

After looking himself over for a few more seconds and realizing how much movement would be involved in searching for the rest of his clothes and making himself presentable, he made his way back into his room and decided to face the music. He glanced at Sebastian and briefly considered going into the bathroom so that his friend couldn’t hear him, but decided not to. He was already dying to crawl back into bed again, and the idea of going back into the bathroom made him nauseous. 

He looked down at his phone for a while before finally placing it to his ear and listening to Cooper’s messages (he knew it was dumb to save his father’s message for last, but he really did not want to deal with his father yet). Cooper’s voice was far too loud on the other speaker.

“Kurt, you little shit, answer your fucking phone I swear to God… you better not be calling mom and dad or you’re dead meat. Seriously, get yourself a drink of water and go to sleep because if you call mom and dad and spew any of the shit at them that you just spewed at me you will be in _so_ much trouble. Call me when you wake up.”

Not entirely sure that he wanted to know what he had told Cooper the night before, he deleted the message and waited for the second one to play, “Good job, asshole. You’re screwed. Have fun packing your bags. Just so you know, after last night I really shouldn’t be offering you my couch but I guess it’s yours if worse comes to worse. Call me, jackass.”

Kurt rubbed his face and deleted his brother’s second message. He wracked his brain, searching for the memories of the night before; they seemed to have disappeared alongside all his clothes (seriously, where the hell were his and Sebastian’s stuff?).

He bit his lip and considered deleting his father’s message without listening to it, but he knew from past experience that that wouldn’t end well and so, in a stroke of courage that Braveheart himself would have been proud of, he opened his father’s voice mail.

“I expect you home for dinner tonight. Better start coming up with some damn good excuses,” and that was it. Kurt resisted the urge to throw his phone at the wall.

It was all that stupid Sebastian’s fault, smarmy bastard. _You’ve been so tense lately Kurt. How long’s it been since you got some ass Kurt? Just a couple of drinks Kurt._ Asshole. He should have known better. 

Ignoring Sebastian stirring on the bed, he quickly dialled Cooper’s number and drummed his fingers impatiently against his desk. Finally, after what felt like forever, his brother picked up.

“Older brother’s anonymous; how can I help you?”

Kurt winced, “Can you talk a little louder please?” he asked sarcastically. Or as sarcastically as he could when it felt like his brain lobes were being mined. 

“I’m sorry that my volume is not to your satisfaction sir, would it help if I SPOKE UP?” Kurt hissed and pulled the phone away from his ear.

“Jesus Coop, can you cut the crap?” he heard his brother chuckling and gripped the phone tighter. And Cooper wondered why he didn’t call more often…

“Sorry, couldn’t help it. Hangover’s are bitches, huh?”

“What the fuck did I do last night?” Sebastian groaned on the bed, and Kurt shot him a glare that he knew he didn’t see.

“Dad didn’t call you? He told me he was going to call you…”

“He did call. Fuck,” he slammed his fist against the wall. Pain shot up his arm and worsened his headache, “He wants me to go over tonight. What the hell did I do?” 

He heard Cooper sigh on the other end, “It was bad. Dad’s… he’s not happy.”

“No fucking shit, Sherlock.”

A pillow hit him over the side of the head, reminding him of his hangover and the fact that he wasn’t alone in the room. He turned and flashed Sebastian the finger as the other boy buried himself deep under the covers and pressed the other pillow down over his head. In an act of complete immaturity, Kurt stuck his tongue out at his friend. 

“Do you want me to tell you how bad you fucked up last night? Or would you rather keep being a bitch?”

Kurt groaned and carefully sat himself down in the chair in front of his desk, “Brother dear, would you mind telling me what I did in my drunken rage last night?”

He heard Cooper laugh, “That’s more like it,” he rolled his eyes at his brother’s inability to detect sarcasm, “Well, you called me at around midnight. By that point you were completely wasted and started screaming about how much you hated me and what I stood for and what a kiss ass I am; you know, the usual stuff.”

“I’m sorry Coop, you know I didn’t-“

“You kept going on and on, and eventually I told you that it wasn’t my fault, it was our parents and that if you were really that pissed that you should just call them. You told me that was a fabulous idea and then hung up. I called you like three times, but you didn’t answer. When I called around one am the line was busy. About twenty minutes later dad called to ask me if he knew where you were.”

“I was at Dalton. Where did he think I was?” 

He could practically hear Cooper rolling his eyes, “I think he thought that you had snuck out of the school or something, I don’t know. Point is that he started rambling about wasting money and all that bull crap that he always pulls whenever you pull your own bull crap-“

“Watch it.”

“And eventually I told him the same thing I told you; I said you’re mad at Kurt, not me, so take it out on him. And that’s when I left you the second message.”

“Did dad mention what it was that I said to him that pissed him off so much?”

Across the room, Sebastian had pulled the covers back and was glaring at Kurt and mouthing at him to shut up and get back to bed. Kurt waved him away and mouthed that he would be back in a second. He turned away just as Sebastian fell backwards onto his pillow. 

“Sorry, I actually have no clue what you did that bugged him. Look, I gotta go. Like I told you, my couch is available if you need it.”

“I doubt it’ll come to that. If dad wanted to disinherit me we all know he would have done it when I came out,” he winced at the memory and the pain in his body. 

“You never know, he sounded really pissed. Call me when you get back, alright? And Kurt,” Kurt paused before hanging up, allowing his brother a few more seconds, “Don’t ever get that drunk again.”

“Whatever,” and with that he hung up the phone and placed it on the desk. He rubbed his temple and shut his eyes, muttering under his breath about how much he hated life. He glanced up and found Sebastian pulling the covers back and patting the empty side of the bed invitingly. Kurt sighed and decided that he might as well. He grabbed his phone, set the alarm for three pm and then padded across the room and slipped into bed with his best friend.

Who was naked. Right; he had forgotten about that.

“You look good in my underwear.”

Kurt burrowed further under the covers and then pressed them close to his body. He revelled in the heat that came from them and Sebastian’s body; he already felt better. Maybe his aspirin was finally kicking in.

“We lost our clothes sometime during the night,” he spoke quietly, the same way that Sebastian had earlier. 

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“Don’t be smart, I mean I got up and your underwear was the only thing lying on the ground.”

Sebastian wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close. As much as Kurt disliked cuddling with someone who he wasn’t in a relationship with, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from Sebastian. Not even when he noticed the hard, warm flesh digging into his hip bone.

“Maybe we went streaking again,” Kurt winced at the ‘again’ in that sentence. Sadly, the first time he and Sebastian streaked was still perfectly clear in his mind.

“Do you not remember last night either?”

Sebastian shook his head against Kurt’s neck, “But judging by the pain in my ass, I’ll bet anything that it was fantastic.”

Kurt groaned and turned around to stare at his friend, “We need to stop this; this whole… getting drunk and then hooking up thing. Oh, and when I say that, I mean we also need to stop hooking up sober, because this is ridiculous.”

“So… what, you finally decided that you’ve fallen for me and want to be my boyfriend?” Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows, and Kurt knew he was joking. 

Kurt scoffed, “Hell no. I just think that we should stop. I feel like it’s putting a strain on our friendship and I don’t like that. Warblers does that enough.”

“It wouldn’t if you would just let me sing that one song-“

“Sebastian we went over this, my voice sounds better with it, the council gave the song to me. Let it go.”

“Alright,” Sebastian shifted closer towards him and rolled his hips into Kurt’s, “One more round and then never again.”

Kurt moaned at the feeling but pushed himself away from his friend, “No, no more rounds. No more hooking up, alright?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and then pulled Kurt close again. Thankfully he kept his hips at a respectable distance from Kurt’s own, “What’s the point of being best friends if we don’t get to have sex all the time?”

Kurt scoffed, “As if you don’t have sex with people who aren’t me. You don’t need me for that,” he eyed Sebastian who was grinning.

“You’re right. You’re the best though. Whoever you decide is good enough to settle down with,” Kurt scoffed again because, ew, _relationships_ , “Is going to be one lucky guy.”

“If I ever decide to settle down,” he reminded him, and Sebastian laughed which made Kurt wince.

“Right. If.”

They lay in blissful silence for a while, simply enjoying the fact that their headaches were given a break. Eventually Sebastian spoke.

“Why were you talking to your brother? I thought you hated him.”

Kurt chuckled, and then ignored the pain that came from it, “I don’t hate him; I just resent him for being my parent’s favourite. And for being a gigantic douche most of the time, but you know.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Kurt winced and shushed Sebastian who apologized quietly.

“Apparently last night I called him and unloaded a ton of bullshit on him and then called my parents and said… I don’t know, something. Anyway, my dad wants me to go for supper there tonight and I called Coop so that I could know a bit about what had happened so I don’t get completely blindsided. Coop thinks they might disown me.”

Sebastian pulled away from him, “How many times has Cooper told you that they might disown you?”

Kurt laughed, “About ten times. This time he sounded serious though; it’s the first time he’s offered me a place to stay if it happens.”

“Damn,” Sebastian settled his chest to Kurt’s back again, but still kept their hips separated, “What the hell did you do?”

“I don’t know. Something bad, obviously. Maybe I called and told them I was about to fuck you or something. They’d be pretty pissed about that; last month my mom tried to give me the sex talk and it was practically torture not to yell at her that I already knew, like, everything she was telling me.”

Sebastian laughed, which brought their hips into contact. Both hissed at the feeling and Kurt turned to look at his friend; Sebastian’s eyes were dark but apologetic and he was biting his lip. His pelvis slowly moved away from Kurt’s ass.

“Sorry, I know you said-“

Kurt rolled his eyes, turned over and straddled Sebastian, “One last round and that’s it.”

Later on he would blame his hangover for his lack of discretion when it came to Sebastian; but in that moment, with Sebastian’s mouth suddenly latched onto his neck and Sebastian’s hips rolling down into his, he really could not care less about his new ‘no hook ups’ rule. 

**

About five minutes after Kurt had rolled off of Sebastian’s lap and both had fallen into silence, someone knocked on their door.

“Can I come in? Or are you two still going at it?”

Kurt and Sebastian simultaneously rolled their eyes and then slowly got out of bed and walked towards their respective dressers to get some clothes. Kurt silently hoped that his clothes from the night before would appear, because those had been his favourite jeans and he really liked the way that vest hugged his waist and showed off the broadness of his shoulders. It was something that made him look _masculine_ and it was what had gotten him laid for the first time; obviously he had some sentimental attachment. 

“Uh... guys?” Kurt glanced at Sebastian, who had already pulled a pair of flannel pyjama pants on, then grabbed the first pair of jeans he found and began slipping them on.

“We're decent. Ish,” he called out, and seconds later the door opened to reveal a tall boy with a shock of blond hair hesitantly peeking his head in. He let out a relieved sigh when he saw that both boys were wearing pants (or at least Kurt was getting there) and then moved to fully walk into the room.

“You two are freaking loud, I swear to God. I'm asking for a room switch,” Kurt noticed that he had a large pile of neatly folded clothing in his arms and the second he dropped it on Sebastian's desk he made a beeline towards him, “Also, I found these lying in front of my room last night, so you're welco-”

Kurt literally jumped on him, his arms and legs wrapping around his friend's body and almost making him fall over. If it weren't for instantly spreading his legs and moving his hands to Kurt's ass to support him, they probably both would have fallen to the floor.

“Thank you so much Jeff,” Kurt mumbled into the blond's neck as he tightened his grip around his neck and hips. Jeff just held onto him tighter, although his hands did travel down to Kurt's thighs.

“Wow, if I had known this was the response I would get I would have woken you up before you let Sebastian screw you this morning,” Kurt glared at Sebastian over Jeff's shoulder, which just made him laugh harder and then shrug and wink before he went back to perusing his choices for shirts.

“I'm going to ignore you just said that and kiss you in gratitude for saving my vest, alright?” asked Kurt, which made Jeff laugh; Kurt cut his laugh off by pressing their lips together in a short, chaste kiss, and then separating with an exaggerated “mwah!” that left Jeff blushing to the tips of his ears.

“Oh, I see how it is. No more hooking up with me because you want to start an exclusive fuck buddy deal with Jeff. Real nice,” Sebastian scoffed as he pulled a plain t-shirt over his head. Kurt scowled at him and gave him the finger.

“Jeff and I are in love,” he said and then pressed another kiss to Jeff's mouth for good measure. After a few seconds Jeff pulled away and gently put Kurt on the ground.

“I never agreed to that,” he said. Kurt smirked but then swayed as a fresh wave of nausea hit him. Stupid aspirin hadn't kicked in yet... 

He put a hand on Jeff's shoulder to steady himself, “Fucking kill me now...” he sighed dramatically as Jeff began petting his back sympathetically. 

“Don't need to. Your dad's going to do that tonight, at dinner. Don't want to take that away from him,” Kurt grumbled something that even he didn't understand under his breath at Sebastian's word's. Jeff and Sebastian both chuckled at that, and then Sebastian seemed to remember that he was also hung over and made a quick dash to the bathroom. Kurt grimaced at the sound of puke going into the toilet.

“So I guess no hope that you'll come with us to play ball?” 

Kurt glared at Jeff, “When have I ever played baseball with you guys?”

Jeff grinned at that, “Well, I was just hoping you could come and cheer me on, you know,” he leaned in really close and whispered, “Since we're in love.”

“Keep it in your pants,” Jeff laughed at Kurt's awful (and majorly hypocritical) comeback and then pushed himself away from Kurt. 

“We're going in half an hour. Tell boozy over there that he's also invited.”

“We're not going!” Kurt winced at the pounding in his head as Jeff walked away, waving a hand dismissively as he walked out the door, and just with that Kurt already knew that he and Sebastian probably would be attending the Warbler's baseball game. He grabbed his phone, set the alarm for twenty minutes later, and then crawled back into his warm, cozy bed. 

**

Forty five minutes later found Kurt and Sebastian lying under a large tree with Thad while the rest of the Warblers- and a couple of random students who Kurt recognized from some of his classes- split themselves up into two teams. Kurt was lying with his head in Sebastian's lap, a lit cigarette dangling from his fingers, pointedly staring at the grass through his sunglasses, and cursing his lack of ability to say no to Jeff; especially after he had saved his vest and jeans. The silence was slightly awkward, as normally Chandler was there to fill it with inane chatter about God-knew-what. For probably the first time in his life, Kurt sort of wished Chandler was there. 

“So what are you doing for the rest of the weekend?” asked Thad, apparently having grown bored of Kurt and Sebastian's lack of conversation. He had brought a book along since he also rarely participated in the baseball games; but had quickly grown tired of it and had set it down in favour of silently watching the boys argue over who got to be on whose team. 

“Might go to Scandal's tonight,” said Sebastian instantly, and he shrugged slightly, “Best way to fight a hangover is to get drunk again, don't you think?”

Kurt scoffed and shook his head slightly and took a drag from his cigarette, which drew Thad's attention to him, “What about you, Kurt?”

Kurt let out a long, dramatic sigh, which made Sebastian chuckle and thread his fingers into his hair, “Getting flogged by my father for God-knows-what.”

Thad winced, “Ouch. I'm guessing that's this one's fault?” he nodded towards Sebastian who let out a quick, “Hey!”

“Damn right it is. He got me drunk last night, talking about stressful midterms and shit. Fucking jackass.”

“I'm right here, you know,” mumbled Sebastian, and Kurt just knew he was pouting; he smiled at that and awkwardly patted his friend on the cheek.

“I know honey, but you're still a jackass.”

Sebastian scowled and took his fingers out of Kurt's hair. Thad laughed and, apparently deeming the conversation over, turned back to the field. Kurt did the same, even though Sebastian's knee was slightly blocking his view.

The boys had finally divided themselves up into two semi-even teams (Kurt noticed that Jeff's attempts to separate Wes and David had failed) and had finally gotten to starting the game. Kurt's eyes flashed over all of them, lingering slightly on a tall boy with bleach blond hair-completely unnatural- that he had seen walking around the school over the past week but that he was pretty sure he hadn't seen until then. He had nice broad shoulders and what looked like a fantastic ass that was covered only in thin sweatpants. Kurt smirked when the boy turned towards the three of them, and then looked back towards the game. 

Kurt filed him away, made a mental note to ask Jeff for his name later on, and then kept glancing over his fellow students of Dalton Academy. Even though most of them were straight and his close friends, he never wasted an opportunity to ogle them without their uniforms on. Nick, for instance, had very nice arms that were being displayed wonderfully as he pitched for the opposite team. Wes was wearing a tightly fitted shirt (that Kurt knew would be gone by the end of the game) that showed off all the muscles in his back; and Flint's legs and ass were looking particularly good in his knee length shorts.

“Oh my God,” Sebastian whispered, “Who is that hottie with the ass and the shoulders and the awful dye job?” 

Kurt sighed; he knew that would happen, “I saw him first Smythe, back off,” he flicked some ash towards him.

“He's a new transfer student, came from some private school down south. I think his name's Sam; don't know which team he bats for though.”

Sebastian chuckled as the boy, Sam apparently, turned to look at them again, “Oh, he definitely plays on our team, or is at least bi. He's looked back at us about four times since they started playing.”

“Probably wondering what a good looking guy like me is doing with my head in a guy like you's lap,” teased Kurt, which made Sebastian smack him lightly and glare down at him through his sunglasses. Thad snorted.

“Maybe he's just not used to your two's blatant display's of affection?” he suggested. Kurt shrugged and put out his cigarette against the ground.

“Or he thinks I'm hot.”

Sebastian quickly said, “You mean he thinks _I'm hot.”_

Kurt rolled his eyes, “Of course, whatever you say.”

“You two are ridiculous,” muttered Thad, and even though he shook his head, his voice was laced with affection. Sebastian put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in.

“You love us, don't deny it.”

Thad laughed and pushed Sebastian away, “Stop harassing Thad, Seb. You know he's not interested.”

Sebastian glared at Kurt and then took his sunglasses off to glare at Thad, “Damn you and your love of pussy.”

Thad let out an indignant squack and blushed bright red, then suddenly became very interested in reading the book he had set aside. Kurt and Sebastian both chuckled at that.

“That's right, forgot you've taken that 'Pledge of Lame'.”

Kurt sighed and patted Sebastian's thigh lightly, “Play nice. And get better insults, because seriously.”

Sebastian swatted his hand away, “I'm hungover.”

Thad still had his head buried in his book, even though Kurt could tell that he wasn't actually reading anything. Kurt stretched out to pat his leg reassuringly, “I think it's sweet that you've taken a celibacy vow,” he said, and Thad flashed him a shy smile, which Kurt returned. 

“I think it's awful. You're depriving yourself of like, the best thing in the world. That's sick, man,” Sebastian put his sunglasses back on and then waved flirtatiously at the new kid, who quickly turned his back on them. Kurt chuckled. 

“I think it's nice. At least he doesn't prey on innocent souls, like some,” he pointedly stared at his best friend.

Sebastian didn't even look down, “Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.”

“Beautiful is not the word I would have used,” replied Kurt cattily, slightly miffed that the boy seemed so affected by Sebastian's flirting. _Not again_ he thought miserably. 

Sebastian looked like he was about to respond, but Jeff called out, “Kurt, I thought you were going to be cheering me on!” from where he was holding the bat. Kurt sighed and lifted a hand lightheartedly. 

“Go Jeff go,” he said unenthusiastically. Some of the boys who were close enough to hear him chuckled, and Jeff rolled his eyes. 

He shouted, “In love my ass,” and then hit a home run. Kurt let out a quiet “Woo,” as Jeff ran by him, which resulted in him getting the finger from his friend. 

“What time do you have to be at your parents?” asked Thad, distracting Kurt from the game again. He let out a deep sigh and shifted until his head was back in Sebastian's lap and his friend had begun combing through his hair.

“Around six, I'm guessing. We normally eat at six thirty and I swear my mom will somehow force me into helping her with dinner.”

Sebastian and Thad laughed at that, but didn't say anything more. Thad went back to reading his book for a brief period of time, and then joined Kurt and Sebastian in watching the game, clapping when someone got a good hit in and clapping harder when somebody striked out.

**

By five thirty the boys were all soaked in sweat, many having shed their shirts much to Kurt and Sebastian's pleasure; Nick had even taken his pants off at one point, which had resulted in Kurt and Sebastian cat calling him so much (especially when he started running) that Jeff and Flint begged him to put them back on. Wes and David's team had just scored their winning home run and were rubbing it in the other team's faces. Kurt decided that he might as well head back. It was about a ten minute walk back to Dalton and a twenty minute drive to his parents. He would probably be late, but considering how bad his dinner had the possibility of being he really didn't care.

He, Sebastian and Thad stood up and stretched before Kurt announced loudly that he was going home and that he wished them all good luck in their attempts at having fun without him. Nick threw his shirt at him as everyone laughed, and Kurt grabbed it and said that he would be keeping it since Nick hadn't allowed him to keep a pair of his underwear the other night. The new kid, Sam, had looked slightly scandalized but everyone who knew Kurt and Nick well knew that Nick was painfully straight. It didn't take away from Kurt's amusement at the blush that spread over Sam's face.

Sebastian instantly took that as his queue to introduce himself to the blushing new guy, which made Kurt roll his eyes because of course he would. Kurt decided that he wasn't going to watch yet another possible love interest be sucked in by the Hurricane of Lust that was Sebastian Smythe, and waved goodbye to everyone- Nick's shirt still clutched tightly in his hand- before starting towards the school. 

As he expected, Wes and David quickly caught up to him and offered to give him company as he walked to his 'death', (“Isn't that a bit dramatic?” Kurt had asked, “You pissed off your dad, dude.”) which really meant annoy the hell out of him. At least he got to talk to them briefly about a solo he had been wanting for the Warblers that he knew Sebastian wanted as well. They agreed to try arranging it for his range and Kurt did a mental fist pump. 

_That's revenge for new kid Sam_ he thought to himself. 

When he finally arrived at his car, he threw Nick's shirt onto his passenger seat and then bid Wes and David farewell in his typical dramatic way. Both Wes and David pretended to burst into tears and swore to him that if he wasn't still enrolled in Dalton by the end of the weekend that they wouldn't give Sebastian the solo they had just promised Kurt. 

And then Kurt was in his car, backing out of the Dalton parking lot and silently sending prayers to a God he didn't believe in that he hadn't finally pushed his father too far. 


	2. Chapter 2

If Blaine Hummel had been expecting anything different from their usual Friday Night Dinner, it most definitely wouldn't have been this. Every now and then his father brought up the possibility of him going back to school, so there was always a slight fear of that. Before he came out he was constantly asked when he was going to ask that nice Quinn girl from next door out. After he came out he was constantly asked when he was going to ask that nice Noah boy from across the road out, despite Blaine's constant reassurances that Noah was actually straight. There was even the slight chance that his father might ask him to watch _Deadliest Catch_ with him later that night which just... _no_. 

But not this. Never this.

“I met someone.”

Blaine nearly spit out his mouthful of lasagne when his father broke the comfortable silence that had fallen over the table. He looked up at his dad, wondering if maybe he was pulling a late April Fool's joke on him; his dad's face was completely serious. Blaine quickly swallowed the food in his mouth before he attempted to speak.

“You-what?”

“Her name's Carole Hudson, she brought her car in the today and we hit it off. I-I asked her out to dinner. We're going out tomorrow night.”

Blaine pursed his lips and felt his heart sink slightly as his father's face lit up in a genuine grin. He put his fork down on his plate an leaned forward on his elbow's.

“Dad... are you sure you're ready?”

Burt Hummel furrowed his brow, although his smile remained, and also leaned forward, “What do you mean?”

Blaine flailed for a few seconds, unsure of what to say, before he spat out the first thing that came to his mind, “I mean, it's only been eight years since mom died; don't you think you should take some more time for-”

His dad reached forward and grabbed his hands, stopping them from going all of the place as he attempted an explanation as to why he wasn't happy for his father. Burt looked into Blaine's eyes and whispered, “Why are you doing this?”

Blaine swallowed, “I-Because, you obviously aren't ready, like I said it's only been-”

“Eight years Blaine,” his dad interrupted, “It's been eight years since your mother died. It hasn't 'only' been eight years- it's been eight years.”

Blaine could feel the tears welling up in his eyes and he looked down at the table, “Bu-She-What if she's not good?” 

He looked up to see his father also had tears in his eyes, “She is, kiddo. She's amazing.”

“You don't know that yet,” whispered Blaine.

“I do Blaine.”

“No, you don't!” he screamed and Burt's eyes widened, “You don't know that dad, what if she's awful, and mean, and what if she moves in and wants to give away all of mom's stuff, huh? What if she's homophobic or something? You don't-you don't _know_ these things dad.”

Burt simply stared at his son, who now had tears openly streaming down his face, and Blaine stared right back; his jaw was set, and he knew he was being irrational, but dammit some random woman wasn't just going to swoop in and take his father away from him.

“Blaine,” his father stood up and walked around the table until he was kneeling beside Blaine, “Kid, what's this really about?”

Blaine opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then spoke quietly, “You're saying goodbye to her dad. You're building a box inside your brain and putting all your memories of mom in there instead of-”

“Instead of being miserable for the rest of my life?” Blaine turned away from his father as a new wave of tears hit him, “Come on, buddy, be reasonable. You know I love your mom.”

“ _No_ , no you don't because if you did you wouldn't be _doing this to her_. You wouldn't be doing this to-” _me_. He took a deep breath, “It's like you're cheating on her memory for some new model.”

Burt stared at him for a few seconds and then took a deep breath, “Alright Blaine, I don't know what's going on in your head- but I know this is one of your you're-mad-at-one-thing-and-acting-like-it's-something-else. Take a break alright? I'll be here when you're ready to talk to me about what's really going on.”

Blaine stared at his father for a few seconds before he nodded and then stood up. He made his way to his room, and then instantly picked up his cell phone and dialled Quinn's number. He paced his room as he waited for her to pick up the phone, his eyes lingering on the pictures on his corkboard over his desk. 

He walked towards it, hanging up on Quinn and re-dialling, and allowed his eyes to trail over the large amounts of pictures that all involved the same four people. One was a picture of him, Quinn and Puck at Quinn's cottage the past summer; Blaine was grinning with his arm around Quinn's shoulder and Puck was leaning on him, laughing at something Quinn had just said that none of them remembered. There was a picture of him and his mother on his first day of kindergarten; he was clinging to his mother's leg, peeking at the camera shyly through his curls, and she was laughing and running her hands through his hair. It was his favourite picture of his mom. 

And then there was the one of him and Burt taken a couple of weeks ago by Puck at the garage; they were leaning against a very expensive car that was damaged almost beyond repair, and Burt was explaining something to Blaine as Blaine watched his father with an expression of complete adoration. 

There were many others, all involving his parents and Puck and Quinn somehow (he even had one with all five of them, back when they were all seven and having their first sleepover at Blaine's house. He, Puck and Quinn were looking very tired and rumpled as they ate their breakfast, Burt was standing behind them chuckling and his mother, who had taken the picture, had just managed to get half of her face into the frame.). 

Annoyed, he decided Quinn wasn't home and called Puck who thankfully answered on the second ring.

“Blaine, you had better have a damn good excuse for calling because I've got a girl over and-”

“My dad met someone.” 

There was silence for a few minutes and then Puck asked, “What?”

Blaine hiccoughed as fresh tears started running down his face again, “My dad-he-he-he-”

Puck muttered something to whoever was with him and Blaine thought he heard someone say “shit,” before Puck said, “I'm getting Quinn on three way alright?”

Blaine shook his head even though Puck couldn't see him, “I already tried, she's not answering.”

“Yeah, she's not answering _you_ ,” Blaine rolled his eyes at that but waited patiently as Puck put him on hold so he could get Quinn on the line. Finally, he let Blaine back on, “Quinn, say hi.”

“Hey Blaine, sorry for not answering, I was in the shower.”

Blaine nodded and wiped at his eyes. He tore his eyes away from the pictures on his wall and fell onto his bed, curling up into a ball with his cell held tightly to his ear, “That's fine,” he whispered. 

He heard Quinn give an irritated sigh, “It's not fine Blaine, things are clearly not _fine_. What happened?”

And so he told her what he had already told Puck, which Puck quickly pointed out, and then went on to explain that he had totally just freaked out on his father for absolutely no reason. 

“I basically accused him of forgetting about mom. Which... God, I know he would never do that but-”

“But you're afraid he'll leave you,” said Quinn in her 'I know everything' voice. Puck called it her 'girl' voice. Blaine just cried harder, “Do you want us to come over Blaine?”

Blaine shook his head before he remembered that they couldn't see him, “No, that's-I need to talk to my dad anyway. I guess I just needed to... I don't know.”

They were all silent for what felt like forever. Blaine stared at the picture on his end table; it was of him and his parents. It had been taken a couple of weeks before his mother's accident and in it eight year old Blaine was grinning toothily at the camera, showing off the fact that he was missing both his front teeth, and his father had his arm wrapped around his mother's waist and was kissing her cheek. Whenever Blaine looked at the photo he felt like he shouldn't even be in it, his small, smiling face distracting from how intimate and happy his parents looked.

“Your dad still loves you Blaine,” said Puck, and Blaine chuckled at that, “No, I'm serious. I'm sure if you told him that you don't want him to date this woman he would call it all off.”

“That wouldn't be fair of me,” Blaine said quietly, rubbing his thumb over his father's face in the picture.

“And now you're talking sense,” said Quinn, “Look, you know how your dad get's. Don't keep him waiting too long before you talk to him, alright?”

Blaine nodded and then asked both of them, “Will you come over tomorrow? While he's out? I-I don't want to be alone.”

There was a bit of a scuffle on the other side of the line, and if Blaine didn't know better he would say that it sounded like Quinn and Puck were speaking to each other with their hands in front of their phone's microphones. He shook his head at the thought; if they had been together Puck simply would have put him on speaker phone instead of three-way calling Quinn.

“We'll be there,” said Quinn, “Just text us the time, alright? Everything's going to be okay.”

Blaine smiled at how warm her voice was, “I love you guys.”

“Now now, no getting mushy Hummel. We'll see you tomorrow alright?” and then Puck was gone. Quinn laughed, the sound soft and delicate before she whispered that _she_ loved Blaine before she also hung up. Blaine stared at his phone for a few seconds before he squared his shoulders and made his way downstairs.

**

Burt Hummel is sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees and his head cradled in his hands as if he were the one who had screwed everything up and not Blaine. Blaine pulled gently at the sleeve of his sweater, a nervous habit he had picked up from Quinn. 

“Dad?” his voice was quite and slightly rough from crying, but his father instantly stood up to face him, his baseball cap in his hands. He glanced down at where Blaine was pulling at his sleeve and shook his head.

“You're going to stretch that,” he mumbled. Blaine let out a watery laugh and then walked towards his father until he was wrapped up in his strong, familiar arms. Blaine buried his face in his father's neck, glad that he had inherited his mother's height; he didn't think he would ever get tired of hugging his father like this. 

“I'm sorry,” he mumbled and Burt just tightened his hold on him before he let him go. They walked towards the couch, and after sitting down Blaine repeated, “I'm sorry.”

“I know buddy,” Burt smiled slightly, “You wanna tell me what that was about?”

Blaine looked down at his lap and bit his lip. Actually, he really didn't want to tell his dad what that had all been about, but he knew that he owed it to him. He had, after all, practically bitten his head off for attempting to be happy. _Why am I not enough?_

“Not really, but I guess,” he mumbled, and his father shuffled closer to him. Blaine worried his bottom lip with his teeth, wondering how he could tell his father that he was the most important person in his life and that he didn't like that maybe he wasn't going to be that for his father anymore.

“Blaine?”

“It's just-Since mom died, you've been all I have, you know? Like, I have Puck and Quinn but it's not the same. And now you're-” he waved his hand, searching for the right words, “Not... replacing me per se but... I'm not going to be that for you anymore.”

Burt sighed and ran a hand over his face, “I knew I should have... Blaine, you know you will always be the most important person in my life, right?”

Blaine shrugged slightly, “But that's not fair to that girl... I mean, your girlfriend or wife should be the most important person to you, not your son. It's... I don't know. I'm being selfish.”

Burt grinned, “Yeah, you are,” he pulled Blaine in close to him, “But what you're saying makes sense. I understand where you're coming from but Blaine, we're growing up. Things are changing. Do you expect me to tell you that you're cheating on the memory of Marlon Brando when you bring your first boyfriend home?”

Blaine flushed bright pink at the memory of his childhood crush and the many wasted bottles of gel in his tween years used in an effort to imitate his hero, “That's different and you know it.”

“I know it is. But just... we need to be real with each other, you know?”

Blaine pursed his lips and then nodded. He rested his head against his father's shoulder with made Burt chuckle, “I guess it just came out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting it.”

His father squeezed him close, “I know, I wasn't expecting it either.”

Blaine smiled and ignored the pain in his heart as he whispered, “What's she like?”

Considering they had only met that day, his father seemed to have a _lot_ to say about Carole Hudson. Apparently she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, had been wearing denim coveralls when she came in (Blaine scowled at that, which made Burt ruffle his hair), was a single mother who had a son Blaine's age, had also been widowed, and preferred Italian to Chinese. 

“She sounds perfect,” mumbled Blaine. Burt smiled at his son. 

“She is.”

Blaine pursed his lips and sat up, “I'm going to go to bed okay? I'm not- I'm happy for you dad. Really. But it's... a lot. Right now.”

His father nodded and gestured for Blaine to head upstairs, “I get that. Don't worry, I don't expect you to just... be okay with it. Well, I hoped but-” his groaned as Blaine's face fell, “Look, just. Take your time, alright? I promise I won't bring her around any time soon.”

Blaine smiled and swallowed thickly, “Thanks dad,” and with that he left his father downstairs, curled himself up in his bed and refused to let himself cry.

**

Burt Hummel had been a mess the entire day before his date. Blaine had to go through at least seven outfits with him, and then he had helped him pick out which flowers to bring her by looking up the different types and what they meant online. In the end they chose to get a small bouquet of Star of Bethlehem's which meant 'hope'. Blaine grinned as his father held them out in front of him, ignored the way he still wasn't entirely happy about the situation, and then decided that they needed to switch Burt's outfit one last time. 

By six thirty he had ushered his dad out the door, waving goodbye and forbidding him from going back into the house to get a steak to bring on the date (because _really)._ When Burt finally got into his car and drove away Blaine pulled out his phone and texted Quinn and Puck to let them know that they could officially come over. Puck warned that he was sleeping over and two seconds later appeared on the other side of the street with an overnight bag slung over his shoulder and a hand cupped to his face, probably yelling something to his mother. Blaine rolled his eyes and went back into his house, not bothering to close the door, and headed towards the kitchen. 

About a minute later Puck was in his house, his combat books practically shaking the ground as he wiped them off. Blaine called out a quick, “Just take them off Puck, geez,” and then went back to rummaging through the cabinets for the ingredients to make brownies. He found the flour and the sugar. By the time he had them on the counter Puck had come into the kitchen, thankfully barefoot, and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. 

“What's up mini-man?” he glanced at the ingredients on the counter and followed Blaine with his eyes as he moved to the fridge, “Are you baking?”

Blaine grinned, “I need something to take my mind off of all this,” he waved his hand around, “Dad dating thing. My mom always baked when she needed to get her mind off stuff so...”

“Sweet. Can I help?” Puck leaned against the counter, pulled out a cigarette and started searching his pockets for a lighter. Before he could find it Blaine rushed over to him and pulled the cigarette from between his lips.

“In the backyard or not at all; you'd think you'd know that by now,” he threw Puck's cigarette to the other side of the kitchen and his friend scrambled to get it. He mumbled something about how expensive those were and that Blaine should be more careful with others property as he went to get it, but Blaine had already turned back to the fridge, “And no, you can't help because the last time you helped me with baking you added your own 'special' ingredients and facing my dad high is not something I want to do twice.”

He secretly hopes that Puck will slip some weed into the mix again, for no other reason than that he doesn't really want to go over his dad's date with him when he gets home and being high would be a very good reason to stay holed up in his room. 

“Whatever. Fucking wuss.”

Blaine glared over his shoulder, “You're so nice. Seriously, I'm surprised that girl you were dating dumped you.”

Puck seemed to have found the marshmallows because he threw one at Blaine's head, “I got dumped because she decided she preferred her best friend to me.”

Blaine shrugged, “You'll get over it.”

Puck scoffed, “My ego's a bit wounded though. I mean... her best friend's a girl. Say what you will, but sleeping with someone only to have them rebuke guys for good, it stings man.”

“Wow, rebuke. Big word.”

Puck rolled his eyes, “Fuck you.”  
Blaine pulled out the eggs, milk and butter and then turned to Puck, “Look, if it's any consolation to you, I've seen your penis and trust me; that's _not_ why she left.”

Puck threw his head back and laughed out loud. Blaine turned away before Puck could see his blush at having spoken so crudely. He scolded himself, as he often did, for being so pathetically innocent when it came to sex things. Then he scolded himself for briefly considering doing something about it because, just, no. 

“Well, either way. I've moved on. All is good in Pucklantis.”

Blaine's blush completely disappeared (as did the thoughts of Puck's penis that had been flitting around his brain; he didn't care how big he was, someone who said things like 'Pucklantis' was not worth getting all hot and bothered over) and he turned to raise an eyebrow judgmentally at his friend. Puck mouthed “What?” and then went back to eating the Hummel's marshmallows. 

“Yeah, you mentioned I had cockblocked you last night,” again he blushed at his own words but Puck just grinned at him lewdly. 

“Trust me, my cock was not blocked. She was totally endeared by the whole 'putting off everything to help a friend in need' thing,” he raised his eyebrows several times and Blaine scowled. 

“You're disgusting,” Puck burst into laughter again and then shouted that he was taking his bag down to Blaine's room. While he was gone Blaine sent off a quick text to Quinn saying that Puck was sleeping over so she was welcome to as well. He then got the rest of the ingredients out of the cupboards, set the oven to 350 degrees, and then got to work on the brownies. By the time Puck came back Quinn had texted him back a simple _I'll pass on the sleeping over, but I'll be there in five._ He frowned; Quinn had never turned down a sleepover before. 

“So, how's your incredibly boring life?” asked Puck as he jumped onto the table in the middle of the kitchen. Blaine raised an eyebrow and Puck held his hands up, “What? I want to get your stuff out of the way so that I can wow you with my awesome experiences at this little place called public school.”

“Yeah, it's a great place,” Blaine turned away just as Puck groaned. He cracked the eggs over a bowl. 

“Sorry, I know, sore spot. So. You going to catch me up?”

Blaine shrugged, “My dad's going on a date for the first time in years. Oh, and I went to the movies the other day. The cashier was cute,” he shrugged again and he could just picture the wolfish grin on Puck's face.

“How cute are we talking about?”

Blaine poured in the sugar, “Not cute enough to get his number.”

“ _Blaine_ ,” Puck jumped off the table and went to stand by Blaine, “You need to put yourself out there more. You're hot, for a dude. Quinn keeps telling me that at least.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow, “Does she?”

Puck laughed, “Yeah. All the time. She says you're way hotter than me which, you know, ouch,” Blaine chuckled as he scooped the butter into the bowl, “But either way. You're going to be a virgin forever if you keep walking away from opportunities like the cashier at the movie theatre.”

Blaine shrugged, “I don't really care about being a virgin. I'm kind of proud of it; plus that guy was probably-”

“I don't care how _you_ feel about being a virgin Blaine. Think about how _I_ feel with you being a virgin. What fun is it having a gay best friend if he doesn't let me go to gay bars with him to pick up the straight female best friends?”

“We can go to gay bars with me still being a vir-”

“No Blaine, we can't, because you will repel every guy with your blazing virginity and your bowtie's. And by doing that you will repel every one of their straight best friends.”

Blaine grumbled, “I wouldn't wear a bowtie to a gay bar,” and Puck raised his eyebrows at him, “Fine, whatever. Sorry for waiting for the right person.”

“As you should be. But Blaine, how the hell are you supposed to know who the right person is if you refuse to go out and _meet people_?”

Blaine stared down into the bowl where the first few ingredients were staring back at him almost mockingly. Why didn't he go out? For the same reason he begged his father to start home schooling him after two months of high school. People were cruel, and Blaine seemed to wear a giant sign on his forehead that screamed “I am gay, please push me into things.”

He sighed, picked up a whisk, and began mixing the eggs, butter and sugar together, “Most people aren't very interested in getting to know me.”

Puck scoffed, “Bullshit. Quinn and I are friends with you, and you know we're two of the coolest bitches at McKinley.”

“Yeah but you guys have known me forever. It doesn't count,” he forced himself to continue staring at the bowl instead of turning to his friend. 

“We could have chosen to ditch you. Some people do that, you know.”

Blaine sighed, “Look, I'm just-”

He was cut off, thankfully, by the sound of the door opening and Quinn shouting, “Honey, I'm home!” Puck rolled his eyes and gave Blaine a look that let him know that the second that Quinn was out the door they would be picking up their conversation right where they left it off. 

**

Blaine was sitting alone on the couch, after Quinn and Puck had disappeared to talk about something that Quinn had insisted Puck needed to hear first. Blaine had been slightly put out at first but eventually let them go. He had turned on the TV and been channel surfing, attempting to ignore the feeling that there was something big those two were hiding from him. 

He sighed when he realized he had gone through every channel and there hadn't been anything that caught his eye, and decided to simply put a football game on mute. He hated how silent his house was when he was alone even if he really wasn't. God, what were those two even talking about that they didn't want Blaine to know?

He was about to go tell them something that probably would have ended up sounding extremely lame and clingy when his father opened the door quietly and tiptoed into the house. Blaine glanced at the clock over the television and then clucked his tongue, letting his father know that he was there. Burt jumped about three feet in the air, which would have been funny if Blaine wasn't in such a crabby mood. Really, Quinn and Puck had come over to distract him from the fact that his father was moving on in his life, not to disappear together and leave Blaine wondering if they were also moving on from him. It had always been just the three of them; he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it if Quinn and Puck began keeping secrets from him too.

“Blaine,” his father exclaimed, eyes wide, “You're still up? Are Quinn and Puck...”

“They're still here,” mumbled Blaine, his arms crossed over his chest, “They're talking about something that is apparently very important that I can't know about. Quinn's leaving soon though, and Puck's sleeping over,” he blinked to try and keep his eyes from tearing up. God, he was pathetic.

“Oh,” Burt awkwardly glanced away from his son, his eyes going towards the stairs. Blaine rolled his eyes and made a gesture towards upstairs.

“Go ahead. I'll just...” he shrugged and turned his attention back to the television. Everything was quiet for a few seconds as Blaine watched the players do something on the screen that he wasn't really paying attention to. The couch dipped slightly when Burt sat down beside him. 

“You alright buddy?” 

Blaine sighed and looked at his dad, “I'm-I'll get over it, I guess. I'm happy for you dad, really. You look like you had a great time.”

Burt smiled at that and blushed slightly before he patted Blaine on the shoulder, “Is this about me going on the date or Puck and Quinn talking without you?”

Blaine shrugged and mumbled, “Both, I guess.” 

Burt sighed and leaned in towards Blaine, “We love you so much Blaine. All of us. I'm sure Quinn and Puck have a good excuse for leaving you out of the loop. And hey, if it makes you feel better I won't tell you about my date.”

Blaine's eyes widened at the thought and by the way Burt laughed he guessed that he must have looked completely scandalized, “Absolutely not, I want to hear everything. Just because I'm not entirely...used to the idea doesn't mean I don't get to criticize how awful of a date you are.”

“Hey now,” Blaine laughed at that and his dad bumped shoulders with him lightly, “I wasn't too bad.”

Blaine opened his mouth to continue teasing his dad, but before he could get anything out Quinn rushed past them with tears streaming down her face. She let out a watery “I'll see you tomorrow Blaine,” and then she was gone, the door shut much too loudly behind her. Burt raised an eyebrow at Blaine, then put his hands up in a 'It's none of my business' way, patted Blaine on the back and then walked towards the stairs. Blaine watched him go and then turned around to find Puck standing at the living room entrance looking like someone had just punched his mother. 

“What's wrong?” he asked quietly. Puck looked up at him and Blaine instantly saw the fear in his eyes. In fact- was he _crying_ , “Puck, what happened?”

Puck shook his head, opened and closed his mouth a few times and then finally said, “Quinn wants to tell you tomorrow. All three of us, at the Lima Bean.”

Blaine pursed his lips but nodded anyway, “Do you want to... get your mind off it? Or something? I finally convinced dad to let me set up the x-box in my room...”

Puck smiled tentatively, nodded, and then both of them rushed down the stairs towards Blaine's room- after a quick detour to grab the remaining brownies- both eager to forget something neither of them had any control over.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt hated going to his house for Saturday night dinners and was thankful for the amount of times that his parents had called to cancel last minute, claiming they had some huge business dinner or country club meeting. Sitting at the large table, only three chairs out of twenty in use... it sort of depressed him.

Especially since his parents both insisted on sitting on either side of the table and so he was forced to awkwardly sit in between them. 

As he had suspected, as soon as he arrived his mother ushered him into the kitchen and told him to get started icing the cupcakes for their dessert. Silently, he was thankful that he had arrived slightly late since it meant that the main course was already completely finished so he wouldn't be roped into actually cooking.

“You look nice, dear,” said his mother, her voice full of false cheer. Kurt resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he dipped a knife into the icing bowl. 

“You know I like to dress nice. We don't have to wear our uniforms on the weekend, so I thought...” he shrugged as he trailed off. Her smile dimmed slightly, but was still firmly on her face. It made Kurt sick. She had always had that stupid motherly smile despite being anything but motherly. He had always hated her for it. 

“I would have thought you had dressed up to come visit your father and I,” she said, probably attempting to sound casual but really sounding cold. 

“I didn't think about it, I sort of just came over in what I was wearing. I mean, you're my parents. You've seen me naked.”

She pursed her lips and muttered, “Apparently not the only ones,” as she walked towards the oven to pull a tray of lasagna much too large for three people out. Kurt frowned and narrowed his eyes at her, watching how she cut the lasagna into perfect pieces with a knife. She glanced up at him and gave him another false smile. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and rested his hip against the island in the middle of the kitchen. 

“What the hell does that mean?”

His mother turned to give him a sharp look, “Watch your mouth.”

Kurt set his jaw and rolled his eyes, knowing that she didn't really care about what he said- she was simply deflecting, “Are we waiting for dad or something?”

“Yes. Your father will be down momentarily.”

Kurt nodded sharply and then gestured towards the dinning room, “I'm just going to-”

“You're just going to help me set the table, like a good son.”

Rolling his eyes again at his mother's smile he brushed past her purposefully to get at the cutlery that she had already set down on the counter beside the plates and glasses. He grabbed them, sent her a fake smile of his own, and then made his way out of the room into the large dinning area that was mainly occupied by the table in the centre. He placed a set of cutlery on each end of the table and then set the one for himself right in the middle of the left side. A part of him almost wished the Cooper were there, if only to keep him company in the horrid place.

He passed his mother on his way back into the kitchen, her hands full of the giant lasagna platter, “You realize we will never finish that, don't you?”

“We would if you only ate like a normal teenager,” she called back in a way that he knew was supposed to be teasing but ended up sounding cruel. He took a deep breath in through his nose and considered the many pro's of actually being disinherited that night; then picked up the plates with one hand and the cups with another and made his way back into the dinning room. 

He set everything down, silently hoping that his mother would call him out for the careless way he had been handling the china just so that he had an excuse to yell at her for a bit; but he figured she was just saving up her condescension for when they talked about what Kurt had really come for when she said nothing. 

He sat down at the table and pulled his phone out, only to groan when he saw who he had a text from. 

_Did you sleep with Sebastian last night? -C_

He thumbed over the reply button, not entirely sure if answering would only spur Chandler on in his ridiculous possessiveness of him. On one hand, he could send him a 'screw you of course I did' text and finally shut him up; but on the other hand he did feel sort of bad. 

Chandler Kiehl had been the first person he had met at Dalton and the first boy to take any interest in him. He had been the one who had suggested Kurt try out for the Warblers, the one who had introduced him to Sebastian and the rest of the guys and the guy who's heart Kurt had practically crushed into the ground due to his dislike of relationships. 

Chandler had had a crush on Kurt since basically the moment they met and he had secretly been hoping that all of Kurt's 'I'm not into relationship's' talk was just that. Talk. He had been very open about his crush and no matter how many times Kurt told him he simply wasn't interested in more than friendship Chandler persisted; he only gave up after Kurt told him in no uncertain terms that there was absolutely no way that the two of them were ever going to be together. 

Of course that had also been after Kurt and Chandler had lost their virginity to each other, so maybe Chandler had a reason to be the way he was. 

He tapped his phone against his lips before he decided that the best approach was simply to evade the question. Chandler would take that as a yes anyway. 

_I didn't see you at baseball. Normally you don't miss it -K_

He looked up to see his mother come in carrying a large salad bowl between her hands. Kurt bit the inside of his cheek; he didn't understand why his mother constantly made more food than necessary. It wasn't like his father ate more than two servings a meal and she barely ever touched any of her food. The only person who had ever eaten enough to finish everything on the table was Cooper, and he went to visit his parents about as often as Kurt did. 

_You didn't even deny it -C_

Kurt sighed and wondered what to answer but was spared having to do so by his father appearing in the doorway and looking over the table as if searching for something that he knew he wouldn't find. Kurt subconsciously sat up straighter in his chair when his father's eyes fell on him. He raised an eyebrow and Kurt fought to keep his expression neutral. He carefully slipped his phone into his pocket, swearing to himself that he would text Chandler back later and pulled himself close up to the table when his father sat down at his seat. 

“Thank you for coming Kurt.”

Unsure of how to respond to that, Kurt said nothing; instead he stared at the plate in front of him and mentally wished that his mother would hurry up with the food so that they could get all of this over with. Kurt knew that having these family dinners were as hard on his parents as they were on him. He pressed his lips into a thin line. _Three guesses as to why that was..._

Thankfully his mother appeared with a tray of crescent rolls and sat down at her end of the table after having set them down. Kurt glanced around at the food on the table and then glanced back up at his parents. He never knew when he was allowed to eat at his own house; his parents had a bad habit of randomly deciding they needed to pray before they ate and then getting pissed at Kurt for not waiting even though most of the time they simply jumped in. 

“Well, this is so nice,” said his mother with her usual false cheeriness, “All of us together for once. Oh, if only Cooper could have made it.”

Kurt resisted the deep urge to roll his eyes as he reached towards the salad bowl- since it was apparent that they weren't planning on praying- to place some on his plate. He was sort of grateful for the fact that Cooper was currently _not_ attending the Anderson's dinner; he was already in trouble, he didn't need Cooper there to rub how perfect he was in his face. 

They all served themselves and then proceeded to silently eat a few mouthfuls, the only sound in the room that of cutlery banging on plates. Kurt wished they would just get it over with. If they were going to disown him why were they waiting so long to do it?

Finally, his father placed his fork and knife on his plate and looked right at him, “Kurt, you are aware of why we asked you to come here tonight?”

Kurt followed his father's example and put his cutlery down, “To some extent.”

His father gave him a hard look, “And what do you mean exactly by 'to some extent'?”

“Well,” Kurt shrugged, “I know I fucked up. But I don't exactly know what I did.”

“Watch your mouth at the table, Kurt,” said his mother in her annoying 'mother' voice. Kurt sent her an annoyed look and then looked back at his father who was giving him a look that expressed how displeased he was.

“Do you know,” he spoke quietly and slowly, his eyes never leaving his son's, “How much we are paying so that you may attend private school?”

Kurt raised his eyebrows at that, completely confused about the direction of the conversation, “I don't...know? I always estimated a couple thousand-”

“Five thousand. A semester.”

Kurt swallowed thickly, “Um. Wow. That's-”

“A lot considering you seem to waste your time the way you do.”

A lull set over the table again, but this time the silence was not cut with the sound of cutlery on plates. It was simply... silent. 

“I'm not entirely sure what you want from me here dad.”

His father gave him another hard look and then stood up, but not before putting a finger up to signal that he would be returning immediately. Kurt sighed and slumped in his chair, deciding on a whim to use this time to text Chandler back. 

_I was drunk. And I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but it's really none of your business. -K_

“No phones at the table,” sing-songed his mom from her side of the table as she wiped her mouth daintily after taking a single bite of food. Kurt exaggeratedly placed his phone back in his pocket and raised his eyebrows at his mother who didn't seem to have even noticed, “You know, Kurt dear,” she continued, “I don't really see why you insist on putting your father and I under so much stress.”

Kurt's jaw dropped at his mother's words, “Excuse me, _I_ put _you_ under stress?” he scoffed. His mother's jaw set and her eyes hardened. Kurt was slightly frightened by how similar he was to her at that moment.

“If you would simply grow up instead of insisting on living this... this life-style you seem to prefer-”

“What, you mean being gay? The thing I _had no choice over_?”  
She glared at him pointedly, “Not the g-the ga- your sexual orientation has nothing to do with this.”

Kurt stared at her long and hard before he looked away, shaking his head, “You can't even say it and you expect me to believe that this isn't all because I like dick.”

His mother seemed to have nothing to say to that so she simply sat up straight in her chair and looked away from him, shuffling in her chair slightly. Kurt really wished his mother wasn't so... perfect. Her looks, her perkiness (albeit fake), her life... It was annoying. 

The silence was broken by the sound of his father's heavy footsteps coming towards them. When he appeared he looked extremely dishevelled- something that rarely happened in the Anderson house. Even Cooper made sure he never had a hair out of place.

He was holding his personal cell phone in his hand and Kurt swallowed thickly, “Are you um... Did you _record_ our conversation dad?”

His father laughed humorlessly, “It wasn't much of a conversation Kurt,” and just like that he pressed the play button and the last thing Kurt expected to hear came out of the speakers.

Moaning. 

Loud moaning. 

_Oh God that was him and Sebastian moaning._

“God you're so hot,” said Sebastian, his voice muffled; most likely because he was speaking the words against Kurt's lips. Kurt felt a deep flush cover his face and he stared down at his half-empty plate not entirely believing what he was hearing. 

“Gonna fuck you. Gonna fuck you so hard,” he heard himself say. The words were followed by more loud moans, a few smacking sounds and what sounded like clothing being shed. 

“Do it. Fuck me. God Kurt, I want your cock so bad.”

“Stop!” Kurt exclaimed, “Just, turn it off, I get the picture.”

The recording played for a few more seconds, mainly just Kurt and Sebastian moaning loudly with a couple mumbled 'Oh God''s and what Kurt was pretty sure was Sebastian saying “Eager, are we?” before his father finally decided to put them all out of their misery and turned it off. Kurt clenched his hands tightly and bit his lip. 

“I-Dad, I-”

His father, much too calmly, walked towards him and sat down in the chair right next to his own, “Kurt,” he said quietly, “Do you find this funny?”

Kurt's neck snapped up and he looked at his father with wide eyes, “Funny? What?”

“Do you think it's funny to call your mother and I and have us overhear... this?” he said it quietly, as if explaining something to a small child. The condescension in his voice gave Kurt goosebumps and sent an unpleasant chill down his spine. 

“It wasn't on purpose,” he said quickly, “I swear I would _never_. God, I'm so embarrassed I can't believe-”

Kurt's father chuckled, “You mean to say,” he held his phone up in front of Kurt's face, “That this right here, what we overheard, was an accident.”

“Yes, the whole thing. I was dru-” he cut himself off and clamped his lips shut. His father looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. 

“You were- of course. You were drunk. What else was I expecting?” he stood up and went to walk over to his wife, who Kurt noticed for the first time was crying quietly into a napkin. He felt a small wave of guilt roll over him at the sight of his mother with tears running down her face, but he quickly dismissed it.

“Look, I didn't-”

“Kurt, did you not hear me when I said we spend five thousand dollars a semester for you to attend this school? For you to have a bright future?” his father's hand clenched tightly on the back of his mother's chair, “Five thousand dollars, for what? For you to get drunk- illegally, I might add- and to _whore yourself out_?” 

Kurt's head snapped up at his father's words and his throat went dry, “Excuse me-”

“Or what, you're going to tell us that this 'Sebastian' character is your boyfriend?”

Kurt clamped his lips shut and stared at the wall away from his parents. This was... God, this was worse than he could have imagined. Fucked up had been a huge understatement. 

“What I do in my free time is none of your concern,” he said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest. His mother let out a loud sob and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from giving into the guilt pulling at his chest.

“Did you miss the part where we spend _five thousand_ dollars on your schooling?” his father was practically shouting. Kurt shot him a glare. 

“My grades are perfect. You haven't gotten any complaints from the Dalton staff, have you?” he glared at both his parents, “This was the first time anything like that has happened,” he lied, “So just... forget it. Alright?” 

His father walked over to him again and leaned in close, “Listen to me right now boy, because it will be the only time I will say this,” Kurt's eyes widened; he didn't think he'd ever seen his father that serious ever, “If you ever, I repeat- ever, pull a stunt like this again so help me God you will not only be out of that school but also out of this family. Do I make myself clear?”

His mother let out an indignant squeak at that and stood up, “Grant, I don't think-”

“I'm giving him a chance Elizabeth. One chance,” he turned from his wife back to his son, “After that, you're on your own. And you really can do whatever you want on your own time.”

Kurt set his jaw and nodded shakily before standing up, “Thank you, father,” the words tasted like led in his mouth, “For giving me a second chance. I promise you my grades will stay intact and I nothing like this will ever happen again.”

His father nodded, “Be sure it doesn't.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds, each waiting for the other to give in and look away first, until finally Kurt's mother came to stand in between them, “Alright well, now that that's all settled; I made some magnificent cupcakes earlier today, if-”

“Actually,” Kurt cut her off despite the ugly glare he received from his father for doing so, “I made plans. With a friend, who I haven't seen for ages. You two remember Rachel Berry, don't you?” his parents glanced at each other, his mother still dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. 

“And you... you'll be back tonight, won't you? I just- you never spend the night anymore darling.”  
Kurt licked his lips and nodded shakily, “Yeah, I'll- I'll be home. For the night. I'll just be gone a couple of hours, nothing big.”

His mother nodded and sniffled delicately, “Alright son. You-be safe, okay?”

 _Always am_ he thought as he waved to his parents as he left, wanting nothing more than to flip his father off. He made sure his posture was perfect until he was in the safety of his car and able to breathe easy. He took a deep breath and resisted the urge to slam his head against the driving wheel. 

_All in all though_ he considered _that went better than I thought it would_. 

He pulled his phone out to see that he had two texts; one from Sebastian and one from Chandler. He opened Sebastian's first. 

_No offence but I'm so glad you're not here today. Blondie's not gonna know what hit him ;) -S_

Kurt rolled his eyes fondly, despite the fact that he was a bit bitter that Sebastian had, once again, managed to snag a guy before he had. It didn't happen all the time, but it happened often enough to piss him off. And really, he didn't need this right now, of all the times that Sebastian could snag a hot guy it had to be on the night that he was threatened to be disowned. 

_You're right. It's none of my business. Sorry for being jealous -C_

Kurt groaned. That was... it was such a typical Chandler text. It was so passive aggressive that it made him want to throw his phone at his friends head. He wanted to yell at Chandler that they weren't together, they had never been together and they never would be together so he needed to stop acting like Kurt was a boyfriend who was cheating on him every time he slept with someone else; it was getting old. 

Kurt bit his lip and considered what he could do. He knew that Chandler lived in Lima but he honestly hadn't seen Rachel for a very long time. He chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe he was giving the possibility of having sex with a guy who he knew for a fact wasn't that bad in the sack to see a girl who's mouth he sometimes wanted to rip off. 

That made up his mind. With a smirk on his face he sent a text to Chandler letting him know he'd be there in ten minutes. 

**

The Lima Bean was a quaint little coffee shop that Kurt loved to frequent when he was in Lima visiting his parents. It was cozy and warm, the coffee was fantastic and the best part about it- Sebastian liked it too. Enough to drive out to meet him there instead of simply getting coffee from the cafe next to their school. 

As it was, the two friends were sitting in front of each other, both cradling cups of coffee and both sporting absolutely horrible “morning after” hickeys. Kurt wondered how many of the ones on Sebastian's neck were from him and how many were from that Sam kid. He shook his head slightly and took a sip of coffee.

“How bad was it?” asked Sebastian finally. Kurt winced and then let out a dramatic sigh. 

“Which part? The part where I apparently bum-called my dad while we were fucking or the part where I went to Chandler's house and ripped his heart out again?”

Sebastian tutted and shook his head, “Poor Keihl. I can't believe he still hasn't learnt his lesson with you.”  
Kurt's jaw dropped, “What, no comment on the fact that my parents _heard_ us? They threatened to kick me out!”

“They do that every other week,” said Sebastian, rolling his eyes. Kurt shook his head and took another sip. 

“They were serious this time.” 

They were quiet for a few seconds, sipping their coffee's silently, both obviously caught up in their own thoughts. Kurt honestly wanted to erase the entire past night from his mind. For once he honestly wished that he had alcohol to blame his stupidity on. 

“Um, so. On a less... intense topic,” Kurt rolled his eyes at his friend, “How was Keihl?”

Kurt shook his head but smirked slightly, “Vocal as ever; still gives head like he was born for it,” Sebastian laughed and Kurt joined in before he could stop himself. They laughed for what felt like forever, shaking in their seats and drawing the attention of people around them. 

When they calmed down Kurt bit his lip and then asked, “How was blondie?” Sebastian leered at him and gave him a simply wicked grin. 

“Absolutely fantastic. Wouldn't mind going for a repeat run on that one.”

“Gross,” Kurt rolled his eyes. Sebastian chuckled and then kicked Kurt lightly under the table. 

“You can't judge me. You lost your virginity to _Kiehl_. And have since slept with him five times.”

Kurt knew that Sebastian was meaning it as an insult to Chandler's looks and abilities in bed (not that Sebastian would know about that) but it ended up cutting him pretty deeply. He looked down at the cup in his hands and bit his bottom lip, feeling like a complete and total asshole. He took a deep breath and spoke. 

“I'm such a bastard.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows and then smirked, “So your mother finally admitted to having an affair with the gardener? Scandalous.”

“Sebastian I'm being serious. I need to- God, I need to apologize to Chandler like, yesterday. He was pissed at me for sleeping with you the other night and I just shoved him against the wall to shut him up and... I'm such a horrible human bring.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes at that and reached forward to grab Kurt's hands in his own, “Listen to me Kurt. Do you... like Kiehl?” Kurt shook his head, “Are you two dating?” Kurt shook his head, “Have you ever indicated to him that you wanted to be exclusive?” Kurt shook his head, “Well then you don't owe him anything.”

Kurt groaned and dropped his head into his hands, “You are like, the absolute worst at giving advice. Seriously, that was probably the stupidest thing that's ever come out of your mouth.”

“What?” Sebastian raised his hands defensively. 

“What? What; Sebastian, you just basically told me that it's fine to fuck around with Chandler, that's what. It's not right. I'm going to go see him.”

Sebastian laughed and grabbed his wrist as he went to stand up, “Would you calm down for a second?”

Kurt glared at him but reluctantly sit down, “It's just. God, it's not okay. He's like, completely in love with me and I went to him just to spite my parents.”

“Point,” Sebastian pointed a finger at him and raised his eyebrows, “ _But_ you never told him you wanted to date him, so my point stands.”

“You're awful. Simply horrible. I'm going to talk to him, explain the situation-”

“So you're going to tell a guy who is hopelessly in love with you that you had sex with him only because your parents overheard you having sex with _me_?” Sebastian rolled his eyes, “Smart. Really.”

Kurt sighed, “I'm going to have to stop with him. Stop... well, not being his friend because I like that but just... stop hooking up with him when I feel less than.”

Sebastian scoffed, “God, you've stopped hooking up with me, you're stopping with Kiehl. Who the hell are you gonna fuck?”

Kurt opened his mouth to answer but the words died in his throat. The door to the shop had just been opened and three people had just walked in; and one of them looked like he had dropped straight out of heaven. Kurt raked his eyes over the boy, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. His hands were clasped tightly in front of him and were connected to what looked like nice arms that were regrettably covered by what looked like more than one layer. His pants were too short and... were those wafers?

“Hello, Kurt?” Kurt waved his hand at Sebastian to shut him up as he continued his ogling of the boy, now moving upwards. He bit his lip at how adorable it was that he was wearing a sweater vest with a matching bowtie. His eyes moved further up and he finally got his second look at the boys face; that time his breath truly caught in his throat. 

“What the hell are you-” Sebastian turned around and Kurt didn't even have the chance to distract him before he let out a much too loud, “Oh, _hello_.”

“Sebastian,” Kurt hissed, which made Sebastian turn back to look at him. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

“Didn't know the muscle man look did it for you Kurt,” he said slyly. Kurt gave him a dead pan look that made Sebastian chuckle.

“Who the hell are you talking about, I was looking at the-”

“Cutie with the bowtie and virgin written all over him,” finished Sebastian, as always reading Kurt's mind, “So was I. I think I'm going to go talk to-”

Kurt grabbed him as he went to stand up and glared at him, “No you are not, you are staying here and listening to me bitch about my parents and how awful I've been to Chandler.”

At that point Sebastian let out a loud laugh that had Kurt wanting to slap his hand over his mouth just to shut him up. As it was, they were in public and he couldn't very well do that without getting the attention of everybody in the room so he settled for kicking his friend under the table and glaring at him. His eyes flickered to the boy, and his heart literally skipped a beat when he saw a pair of honey coloured eyes glued on him. Kurt's eyes travelled down to the boys lips out of pure instinct and he almost groaned. The boys lips were this light pink, slightly parted and _God_ Kurt could just imagine how they would look around his dick. He looked away quickly, feeling heat rise up in his neck. Sebastian was grinning at him lewdly. 

“Oh, Kurtsie you're _blushing_.”

Kurt scowled, “I am _not_ \- what are you doing? Don't look-” Sebastian ignored him and turned around in his chair. He turned back quickly with both eyebrows raised. Kurt widened his eyes in response, hopefully getting his point across to Sebastian that he had to shut _up_.

“Looks like that answer's my question,” Sebastian said, smirking, “Unless, of course, I snatch him up first.”

Kurt ran a hand over his face and glared at Sebastian, “Don't. I let you have blondie and- what am I even doing arguing this with you. He's just some random guy, we're never going to see him again. Can we go back to what we met up here to discuss?”

Sebastian's smirk grew, “So you'd rather talk about how you crushed Kiehl's heart into the ground yesterday?”

“Yes. No. Goddammit Sebastian,” Sebastian laughed, “What am I going to do about my parents?”

Sebastian sighed, as if resigned to the fact that they were done talking about the cute boy that was currently ordering his coffee (not that Kurt was still stealing glances at him. Nope.). He pulled his chair in closer and folded his hands together, as if he were in a professional meeting, “I have the perfect solution to all your problems my friend.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and gave him a vague gesture, “Do tell, oh wise one.”

“I'm not going to talk to that guy over there.”

Kurt blinked at him for a few seconds, waiting for the punchline, but Sebastian looked completely serious, “Um. Good for you? I thought I said we were dropping that.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “God, you're stupid. Look; your parents are pissed because you're screwing around and not doing anything serious, right?”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “Um, I guess that's an extremely delicate way of saying that I bum-called them while I was drunk and they overheard me having sex.”

Sebastian waved his hand, “Details. Look, Mr. Bowtie's-and-BJ-lips has got nerd written all over him. If you dated him your parents would totally see that you're being serious about your life. Plus you'd get Chandler off your back and you would have somebody to fuck on a regular basis.”

Kurt was about to protest that Sebastian was _insane_ and then make fun of his one tracked brain. But then he actually thought about it and... 

“I don't do relationships,” he said, grasping at straws because _fuck_ Sebastian's plan sort of made sense which was weird and no, that was insane. He was not doing that.

“Neither do I. But if it meant getting into _his_ pants and on top of that getting on better terms with my parents,” Sebastian raised both eyebrows and then shrugged, raising his coffee cup to his lips, “But I guess you're right. I'm just crazy.”

Kurt pursed his lips as he honestly thought about it (which he couldn't believe he was doing. Normally he just dismissed Sebastian's ideas like the bullshit they were), “He's a guy though. And you know how my parents are about the gay thing.”

“But he's solid. And look at him, he's so pretty.”

Kurt did, his eyes falling on the boy where he had sat down with his friends. He traced the curve of his lips and the fan of his eyelashes with his gaze, smiling slightly at the small quirk on the side of his lips indicating that he was happy but was trying hard not to show it. He shook his head and turned back to Sebastian. 

“You're ridiculous. We don't even know if he's gay or if he'd be interested in me. Look, I'm stopping this madness right now because Goddammit it's making sense and it's freaking me out.”

Sebastian laughed and shook his head, “You're hilarious. So... if you're not gonna tap that...”

Kurt groaned and ran his hands through his hair, “Don't even. You already fucked that Sam guy when you knew I had my eye on him and if I'm not going to talk to that guy then you aren't either. Like I said, we don't even know if he's-”

“ _Please_. He was looking at you earlier like he wanted to _eat_ you.”

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek and thought back to the two seconds of eye contact he had maintained with the boy earlier and shook his head slowly. The boy had looked bashful, shy and a tad bit smitten. Not like he wanted to eat him.

“Look,” he stood up slowly, “I'm going to go to the bathroom and um... call Chandler so we can meet up later and then... I don't know. You can leave, I guess.”

“Alright, I get it, dropping the topic. I'll be waiting for you here,” he smirked and Kurt set his jaw.

“No talking to Bowtie's alright?”

“Cross my heart,” he did so. Kurt glared at him and then began walking towards the back of the shop, pulling his phone out as he went. 

And maybe he glanced at the guy on his way, but nobody needed to know that.

When he reached the bathroom's he closed the door quickly, then glanced around to make sure nobody was in the stalls before he dialled Chandler's number. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror as he waited for his friend to answer and let out a horrified gasp when he realized that a completely unattractive blush had spread all over his face. He went to splash water on it to cool himself off but before he could Chandler picked up. 

“To what do I owe the honour of speaking to the elusive Kurt Anderson who is apparently too good to spend the night after fucking a guy until he can't remember his name?”

Okay, so he was mad. Kurt could deal with mad Chandler. It was hopeful, borderline crazy stalker Chandler that he had a hard time with. 

“Look, I'm sorry my parents wanted me home and-”

“Why are you calling Kurt? You never call unless you need help with your biology or an 'I feel bad and nobody else will have sex with me' fuck.”

Kurt winced at the semi-truth in his friend's words (he did call for more things than that) and chose his next words carefully, “I-we need to talk.”

“No shit.”

“Look, Chandler I just... can we meet up? I'd really rather do this in person,” he leaned against the sink counter so that he didn't have to see his reflection anymore, “I'm still in Lima so...”

“What do we need to talk about?” Chandler's voice was still cold and clipped. Kurt pursed his lips and let out a deep sigh. 

“Last night.”

There was a few seconds of silence and Kurt desperately hoped that Chandler had gotten the hint that this wasn't going to be a happy conversation; apparently he had underestimated Chandler's ability to hear everything Kurt said as a declaration of undying love.

“Kurt _Anderson_ are you _seriously_ -”

“No. I-I need to apologize. For um... well, everything I guess but last night especially.”

They fell into silence again. Kurt mentally slapped himself. He hated doing these things over the phone; the least he owed Chandler was a face-to-face apology.

“Do it now. I don't know if I'll be able to handle it if you're in front of me.”

“Chandler...”

“Look, Kurt, I get that you're trying to be nice about this but seriously. Just get it over with so I can cry myself to sleep for the bajillionth time since we met.”

Kurt groaned, “That's so unfair Chandler! Look, I get I haven't been the most decent human being to you but that doesn't mean you get to-”

“Make you feel bad for screwing me over? You're right, I shouldn't have to; you should already feel bad by yourself. But obviously you have no heart, so...”

“I do feel bad. If I didn't I wouldn't be calling you to apologize, I would be pulling you into an empty classroom on Monday to suck me off.”

“What the fuck ever Kurt.”

“Are you going to let me say my bit? Or are you going to continue being impossible?”

“Fine. Go on, apologize for every horrible thing you've ever done to me.”

“Oh, fuck you Chandler. You know, if you keep acting like this I'm just not going to apologize at all. Jesus Christ, I can't believe I thought you'd be the least bit mature about this.”

Chandler let out a humourless laugh, “Oh, excuse me, because you're so mature with the drinking and sleeping around and stomping on people's heart's-”

“You fucking sound like my parents. Look, this isn't about me sleeping with Sebastian or anyone else, alright?”

Another silence fell over them, this time punctuated by the way both of them were breathing heavily. Kurt bit his lip to stop himself from the many awful things he wanted to say to his friend (ex-friend?) at that moment. 

“You-you've slept with more... God, you know I always assumed but to hear you _say it_ -”

Kurt groaned, “Look, Chandler,” he didn't notice the door opening, “I'm sorry, alright? Yes, I've slept with people who aren't Sebastian, which is really none of your business, and I've been a total asshole to you. Truth is, I don't deserve you, because you deserve someone who's going to fucking kiss your feet. That's not me, so-”

He froze mid-sentence when he turned his head slightly and saw the boy he and Sebastian had been ogling earlier standing in the middle of the bathroom with eyes so wide they looked like they were going to fall out of his face, his lips open in a perfect, inviting, 'o', and a blush that most likely went down to his toes. 

“Kurt? Kurt, are you there? Did you hang up on me because I swear to _God_ -”

“I'm here,” Kurt didn't take his eyes off of the boy who seemed to have forgotten how to move, “I'm going to hang up now, but only because I already told you that I wanted to do this in person. I'll be at your house in about an hour, alright?”

“You can't just assume that I'll be here, what if I had plans?”

“Goodbye Chandler.”

He hung up and bit his lip, his eyes flitting all over the boy's face. His hands were clenched in a tight fist and his lips were slightly parted. His eyes still looked like they were much too big for his face, and God even his ears were bright red.

Slowly, as if waking up from a trance, he shook his head and began to blink quickly, “I'm so sorry,” he blurted, “I didn't-I mean- I'll just-”

If Kurt's brain wasn't still short-circuiting from the effect this boy seemed to have on him he probably would have found his adorable rambling endearing, “No,” Kurt heard himself say, “I should apologize. That probably sounded... really bad.”

The boy flushed even deeper (Kurt hadn't thought it was possible) and finally pulled his eyes away from Kurt's face to look down at his shoes, “Sorta,” he mumbled, but then quickly looked back at Kurt and raised his hands in front of him, “Not like- It's not bad! I mean, it's none of my business but it just- It distracted me, and-”

Kurt pressed his lips together in an attempt to keep himself from laughing, but judging by the horrified look on Bowtie's face, he was failing miserably, “Alright. I think I've embarrassed myself enough for one day. I'm just going to go- my friends are probably worried about me anyway...”

Kurt finally wasn't able to take and burst into laughter, one hand clutching the counter tightly while the one with his phone in it curled around his stomach, “Oh my God, I'm sorry, No!” he quickly tried to school his features when the boy turned around, “No, don't go, I'm sorry I didn't mean to be offensive or anything. I've just sort of had a bad day and you just totally made it better.”

The boy smiled almost shyly and bit his lip, “Well, I'm glad my inability to act like a human being around boys amused you.” It was so cute that Kurt almost felt bad about his inappropriate thoughts about the boys lips. Almost.

“Stoppit, it's adorable.”

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he instantly found himself clamping his own mouth shut and flushing a dark red that rivalled Bowtie's blush. He chuckled slightly self-deprecatingly and then shook his head and stuck his hand out.

“I apologize for my lack of tact and hope we can start again. Hello, my name is Kurt Anderson.”

The boy's smile increased and he took a step forward before he clasped Kurt's hand in his own. His hands were warm and soft, and to Kurt's amusement shaking slightly.

“Blaine Hummel.”


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine could not believe that he was currently standing in the boys bathroom in the Lima Bean, of all places, shaking hands with the most beautiful boy he had ever laid eyes on. Kurt's blue/green eyes sparkled in amusement, more likely than not because he could feel the shake in Blaine's grip but Blaine just couldn't bring himself to care. Because somehow he had ended up here. In a bathroom. With a gorgeous boy who thought he was adorable. And who had been staring at him for the past half-hour. 

And whose hand he had been shaking for far too long. 

“Sorry,” he quickly released it, “Would you believe it if I told you I don't do this often?” he chuckled lightly as he rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at how hot the flesh was. 

Kurt smiled, “What, walk into the bathroom only to hear the tail-end of the phone conversation from hell and then shake hands with the person who had been having said conversation as if you were in a proper business meeting?” he let out a full out laugh and it was like a thousand angels had just fallen out of the sky and into his ears, “Me either.”  
Blaine bit his lip and then shook his head, “No. I actually meant the um... talking to someone I haven't known my whole life bit.”

Kurt's eyes widened almost comically (except it wasn't comical at all because those eyes looked like they could peer into his soul if they wanted- and he really wanted them to) but then he smirked, “I guess the babbling should have tipped me off to that,” he winked at Blaine, which made Blaine's insides squirm. 

“No need to make fun...” he mumbled quietly and Kurt laughed again. Blaine wondered if it was normal to have known someone for two minutes and to already want to make him laugh for the rest of his life. 

“You really are adorable. Are you going to let me explain what you just heard, or is this friendship going to be built solely on awkwardly avoiding assumptions you've made in your head about me?”

Blaine quickly shook his head, which made his curls fly all over the place. He had actually almost forgotten what Kurt had been saying into his phone when he had walked in. Except that Kurt had just reminded him and yeah, wow, he didn't think he could still blush more than he already was but the fact that the boy he was standing in front of wasn't a virgin was sort of the only thing he could think of now. 

“No assumptions! I mean, you probably had your reasons for... whatever that was.”  
Kurt smiled slightly and bit his lip, obviously trying to contain his amusement. _Great_ Blaine thought. 

“It's sort of a long story... and you probably have to get back to your friends. I know I have to get back to the douche bag I like to call my best friend. But I do want to tell you, so how about this. With the risk of coming across as extremely forward: can I have your number?”

Blaine blinked dumbly for a few seconds, not entirely sure that he had heard correctly, “What?”

Kurt's smile grew, “Your number. You do have a cell phone, don't you?”  
“Yeah, of course,” he quickly scrambled for his phone that he thankfully hadn't left at the table with Puck and Quinn, “Here you can... number.”

Kurt grinned at him and muttered, “Adorable,” under his breath as he reached for Blaine's phone and handed him his own. For a second Blaine wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do with it- he had never really been in the position to exchange numbers with a boy before. He glanced up at Kurt and noticed that he was typing something into Blaine's phone. Setting into action, he found the contact button and before he could freak himself out with the amount of contacts in Kurt's phone he tapped on 'new contact'. 

“You only have six contacts,” said Kurt, slightly surprised. Blaine looked up from where he had been attempting to work Kurt's iPhone without doing something incredibly stupid and accidentally erasing all of his information and gave him a small, hesitant smile.

“I told you, I don't really... do this,” he quickly finished writing his contact into Kurt's phone, “And I only have five contacts.”

Kurt chuckled, “Well, with the addition of Kurt Anderson, no; you have six.”

Blaine grinned at him as they swapped phones and then they both stood awkwardly as if waiting for the other to do something. Giggling, Kurt placed his phone into the pocket of his (dark, skinny, _tight_ ) jeans and then gave Blaine a levelled look. 

“So um... I'm going to call you. Soon. And... we'll meet up. I'll tell you all about before. Is that... okay?”

Blaine sputtered slightly, struggling to find the words to describe how incredibly okay that was, “Yeah, that's, you know, fine. Yes. Please.”

Kurt laughed again and shook his head in amusement, “You're something else,” he then stepped around Blaine and sent him one final smile over his shoulder, “I'll see you around Blaine Hummel.”

And with that he was gone, leaving Blaine standing awkwardly in the middle of the bathroom with his phone clutched tightly in his hand and his reasons for entering the bathroom in the first place completely forgotten.

**

He practically floated back to his table, a grin plastered on his face that he knew probably looked absolutely ridiculous. He turned around just before he sat down and saw Kurt leaving with the tall boy he had been sitting with before. Kurt turned too, smiled at him and waved him goodbye. The tall boy smirked and said something that Blaine couldn't hear. Kurt responded by rolling his eyes, sending Blaine one last smile, and then following his friend out of the shop. 

“Blaine?” Puck waved his hand in front of him, and Blaine turned to his friends. He had almost forgotten why they had gone to the Lima Bean in the first place. Quinn was looking towards the counter and her eyes were vacant, as if she weren't even with them. Not in her mind, at least. Puck also looked slightly worried and Blaine noticed that he was gripping Quinn's hand tightly with his own. Blaine pursed his lips and sat down.

“Sorry. I just- Never mind. You guys uh... wanted to talk to me?”

Quinn's eyes started watering when he said that; Puck shifted closer to her and clutched her hand tighter. Blaine's inside's squirmed- partially from nerves at what could possibly be to come, partially from the continued after-effects of talking to a cute boy. 

“Yeah,” Puck spoke up. He waved at the empty chair in front of Blaine, and then pursed his lips and began speaking as Blaine sat down, “First of all, we wanted to apologize.”

Blaine's brow furrowed, “For what?”

“For-”

“For ignoring you like that yesterday,” interrupted Quinn, her voice slightly shaky, “You were going through a hard time what with your dad and all. I could have just... I don't know. I shouldn't have kept you out of the loop like that, especially on a night like that.”

Blaine shrugged, slightly uncomfortable. He hated when his friends got in his head. 

“It's, you know, whatever. I'm sure it was important enough to tell Puck alone.”

Quinn ran a hand through her hair, “Yes. I did want Puck to know first, and I wanted to tell him alone. But I could have waited till today or told him before we went over to your house. Doing that at your house, especially when we were meant to be comforting you about your father, was really bitchy. So. Sorry.”

Blaine pursed his lips, “You're putting it off.”

Quinn straightened up in her chair and Puck looked away guiltily, “What?”

“Whatever it is you have to tell me. You're putting it off as long as possible by giving me some bullshit apology.”

“It's not-”

“Quinn. Tell him.”

Quinn glared at Puck as if he had committed the greatest treason and Blaine smiled at his friend. Puck, for once, didn't smile back. He just went right back to gripping Quinn's hand tightly. She didn't protest.

“I went to the doctor,” began Quinn, “Because I'd been feeling off and I had missed a period and-”

Blaine's hands came up to cover his mouth before it could drop open, “No. Quinn, please tell me you're not-”

“Pregnant. Yeah, I am.”

Blaine opened and closed his mouth several times, in what was most likely an ugly imitation of a fish. He couldn't believe it. Quinn Fabray, his childhood best friend who was seventeen years old... pregnant. Quinn was going to be a mother. Blaine's vocal chords didn't work all of a sudden. 

“Blaine. Please, say something,” Quinn now had tears pooling in her eyes and one rolling down her cheek. Blaine stared on in shock as Puck turned fully in his chair and pulled Quinn towards him; he was even further shocked by the fact that Quinn let herself go, pillowing her cheek on his chest and wrapping her arms around him as she began openly crying. 

“I-Puck-What?” 

Puck turned to him and pursed his lips, his own eyes filled with unshed tears, “We... we were going to tell you mini-man. I swear. It was just...”

Blaine ran his hands over his face and through his hair, “Oh my God. I can't believe-Oh my God,” actually, he could believe it. He had known something was going on with those two; some sort of secret they were keeping from him. But never had he even considered...

“How-um. How far along. Are you?” Blaine coughed, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks at how awkward he sounded. 

Quinn looked down at her lap, “Eight weeks.”

“Eight wee- You guys, that's two months. You've been... Oh my God.”

He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, his heart beating fast. He couldn't believe it. They had never kept secrets from each other and now... two _months_.

“Actually, it's been four,” Quinn elbowed Puck when he spoke and he gave her a look. Blaine felt his jaw drop. 

“I can't believe this,” he muttered. He picked up his coffee and began to march towards the exit. Quinn and Puck were immediately on their feet, ready to follow him.

“Dude, where are you going?”

Blaine turned slightly to look at them and then let out a loud sigh, “Look, I get that this is tough for you guys but... I just. I need some time. To think about, well, everything.”

Puck opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but Quinn elbowed him and he quickly shut it, “We understand completely Blaine. And-well. We're- _I'm_ \- so sorry.”

Blaine pursed his lips as he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. He nodded silently at his two best friends (his only friends) and then walked out of the Lima Bean alone. It was only when he reached the parking lot that he realized that Puck had driven all three of them. 

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Blaine pulled out his phone and dialled his father.

**

“I can stay, if you want.”

Blaine stared up at his father from where he was lying on his bed, a pillow hugged tightly to his chest. He shook his head slowly and burrowed even further under his blankets, revelling in the almost too-hot warmth that they provided. He felt like he was in a cocoon; a safe cocoon where nothing changed and nobody left him behind. Not his father with his new girlfriend, not Puck and Quinn with each other and their baby. Everything was just as it was before.

“No, you go ahead. It's not often that you get a second date so close to the first one,” it came out mumbled, his words slightly obstructed by the pillow that he held so closely to himself. He looked away when his father let out a loud sigh and walked towards him. 

“I'm not going to leave you here if you're feeling like this,” the bed dipped slightly and Blaine began to feel the tears welling up in his eyes again, “Look, bud, I know you're having a rough time with this Carole stuff. I'm not going to just walk out on you after, well...”

Blaine sucked in a breath and pressed his lips together, as if that would keep him from crying, “I'll be alright dad, seriously.”

Burt shuffled closer and then laid down beside his son on top of the covers. Without even thinking about it, Blaine instantly went to his fathers side. It was a bit uncomfortable with him under the many blankets on his bed and Burt on top, but he didn't care. 

“Who are you going to talk to about this, huh buddy?” Burt wrapped an arm around Blaine's shoulder. Blaine leaned his head on his father's shoulder.

“What do you mean?” he whispered. Burt shrugged awkwardly. 

“I just mean that normally Puck and Quinn are the ones you go to when you've got something going on and... well, you know you can always talk to me but I know it ain't the same talking to your old man then talking to someone your own age.”

Blaine buried his face in his father's neck and let out a quiet cry, “I love you so much dad.”

Burt seemed slightly shocked for a second, but then he dropped a quick kiss onto his son's head and whispered, “I love you too son.” Blaine tried to pull himself together; he had practically been crying the entire way home, but for some reason the tears just kept coming. 

“Dad, I know you're trying to be here for me but... I think right now I just need to be alone.”

Burt seemed to hesitate, probably because Blaine had never asked to alone before. Never like this at least. When he said he wanted to be alone, it normally meant that he needed to call one of his friends. And that obviously wasn't going to happen. 

“Are you sure?”

“I'll call you if I need anything. I promise. You go,” he shuffled away from him and pushed his shoulder slightly, “Have fun. And make sure you kiss her this time.”

Burt ruffled his hair and kissed his head one last time, “You're positive? Because really, she'll understand.”

“Dad.”

His father sighed and then stood up slowly, “Just for the record,” he said as he began to walk away, “I already kissed her last time.”

And with that he walked out of the room, leaving Blaine alone in a bundle of heat, warmth, and false security. He sighed and pressed his face into one of the pillows beside him, trying to stop the traitorous tears from continuing to spill down his cheeks. It seemed like all he did lately was cry. 

He tried to keep his thoughts neutral until he heard the front door close and his father's car revving up. It was only then, when he was truly alone, that he allowed himself to really think about everything that was going on. 

He tried to clear his mind of all distractions so that he could fully focus on figuring out what was happening inside his head. Things had been sort of jumbled up there for the past few weeks, as if something heavy was weighing on his heart, and Blaine couldn't help but wonder if it was the reason that he was overreacting to absolutely everything that was going on. Granted, all of these changes in his life were a lot to take in, especially considering how borderline monotonous things had been for the past two years. 

He considered how quickly he had reacted to his father meeting someone. He had been instantly on the defensive, trying to say anything that would persuade his father not to look for a source of happiness that wasn't Blaine. He thought about how he hadn't been able to stay in the same room as Quinn and Puck for longer than five minutes after Quinn told him she was- that her and Puck...

He couldn't even wrap his head around it. It was like a tidal wave was building up inside of him and had finally reached a breaking point. He just wished he knew what it was, what the stupid heavy feeling in his heart that had been weighing him down for the past few weeks was. He wanted to scream until his lungs burned from exhaustion and yet at the same time he wanted to clamp his mouth shut and simply never speak again. 

He knew that eventually things would change. While he had never expected his father to find another woman, he had known that eventually Puck and Quinn would start dating and obviously have less time for him. But Puck had already done that, and Blaine hadn't freaked out the way he had earlier. Quinn herself had had a boyfriend or two over the years, and never had Blaine felt the need to be alone to sort out his thoughts on the matter. 

Before he could go further into his thought process, he felt more than heard his cell phone vibrate on the pillow next to him. He blindly reached for it, silently hoping it would be one of his friends asking if he was okay or showing some kind of sign that they cared about how he was taking this. He knew it was selfish; his two best friends were having a baby and he wanted _them_ to care about him. But he couldn't help but hope. 

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and his heart flip-flopped in his chest when he saw the text was actually from. He read it several times, not sure if it was real or if it was some sort of dream that he was having in his rung out state. 

_So... that story I owe you... Are you free tomorrow after school? I get out at 4, but I don't know how public school works. -K_

Blaine pressed his phone to his chest and flipped onto his back so that he was staring up at the ceiling. Was it really a good idea to be getting to know somebody new, especially with the way things were? Who was to say that Kurt wouldn't go to tell him something and Blaine would suddenly open his mouth and everything that was wrong in his life would come spilling out. Kurt would probably think he was a freak, some strange, anti-social freak who didn't know how to act around human beings. 

But then again, maybe it was just what he needed. A... distraction, of sorts. He wasn't lying when he had told Kurt that he rarely talked to people who weren't his family, Puck or Quinn. The only time he had actually spoken to anybody was during his brief stint at McKinley High freshman year and... well. Maybe this, Kurt, could be a sort of fresh start for him. A chance to get out of his comfort zone and do something completely out of character just because he could. 

Without thinking about the consequences and what he could possibly be getting himself into (he had no idea who Kurt Anderson was, he could be an axe murder for goodness sake) he texted Kurt back. 

_I'm home schooled. 4:30 in the Lima Bean? -B_

He sucked in a deep breath as he waited for a response, the rational side of his brain reminding him that he was meant to be examining what was going on in his life and how he could make everything better. He ignored that side as his phone vibrated in his hands and he grinned when he read _Can't wait! -K_ on his screen. 

**

While home schooling hadn't been his first choice, Blaine had to admit that it definitely had it's perks. Like the fact that it was noon and he was completely done all of his school work _and_ homework for the day. He had gotten up incredibly early, his stomach in knots, and when he couldn't go back to sleep he had decided to simply get a start on his work to distract himself. 

The problem with that however, was that he now had four hours on his hands and nothing to do with them. 

He decided to go into his room; his father had suggested he come help him at the shop if he was starved of things to do, but Blaine didn't feel like showering later on to get rid of the greasy smell. Besides, there was always the small chance that somebody from McKinley would drop by the shop and he would rather avoid that at all costs. 

When he reached his room he instantly zeroed in on his phone, which he had been ignoring all morning. He was shocked to find at least fifteen texts messages. All of them were from Puck or Quinn. He sighed and slowly opened them one by one, biting his lip as he read them. They were all some sort of variation of “we're so sorry” to “seriously Blaine, quit the silent treatment and just TALK to us”. 

He flipped his phone shut and tossed onto his dresser before sinking into his mattress, sighing loudly. He knew he would have to talk to his friends eventually, but he simply couldn't yet. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours. He needed time to think through everything (even though every time he set out to do so he ended up purposefully distracting himself with thoughts of Kurt), and they should respect that. 

Feeling the need to at least let them know that, he sent them both a simple text saying _I need time. I'll call you. I don't hate you. -B_

His text instantly received about five responses, probably Puck accidentally sending the same text several times and Quinn ignoring his request to be left alone. He considered turning his phone off completely, but decided against it just in case Kurt needed to... cancel, or something. 

He really hoped he didn't. 

He put his phone in his pocket anyway.

He shifted slightly until his head was against a pillow and then he grabbed another one and held it to his chest. He really did need to think about what was going on with him. But at the same time... it was just another change. Something that hadn't been there before. He had never been truly unhappy before, not even during those few months at McKinley, and maybe he still wasn't but... he had just never felt so abandoned before. 

He groaned as his head started to throb and he pulled himself up, making his way down to the kitchen for an aspirin. Then, deciding to once again ignore the pressing need to decipher the inner workings of his mind, he picked up one of the Lord of the Rings movies, and popped it in. He really hoped it would serve to distract him once and for all from his upside down life. 

**

The sound of his cell phone ringing woke him up from where he was dozing on the couch. He opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he noticed was the DVD menu for Twin Towers playing on loop on his television. The next thing he noticed was that his phone was still ringing and he should probably answer that. 

Without even considering that it could be Puck or Quinn he flipped his phone open and mumbled a tired, “'ello?” into it. A laugh came through the speaker and made him wake up instantly.

“Hey, sleepy head.”

“Kurt! Crap, I totally-”

“Forgot, that's fine. I was just wondering because you're fifteen minutes late, and I'm starting to look a bit pathetic over here.”

Blaine ran a hand over his face, “I'm sorry, I was watching a movie and I fell asleep. Just- I'll be right there. Give me ten minutes.”  
Kurt laughed again and told him to take his time before he hung up. Blaine looked down at the clothing he was wearing, then ran a hand through his hair. 

He groaned as he rushed up to his room, wondering if he still had any gel left over from his Marlon Brando days.

**

“Well, look at you,” said Kurt as soon as Blaine walked into the coffee shop, still patting his hair and trying to adjust the clothes he had quickly put on, “If I didn't know better I never would have thought you just woke up.”  
Blaine gave him a shy smile, not entirely sure how to act in this situation. For once he wished he had taken Puck's advice and just talked to some of those other guys he had noticed in the past. At least then he wouldn't come across as a totally anti-social loser who didn't know how to act around other human beings. Particularly attractive boys.

“You're lucky I found a bottle of half full gel,” he muttered as he slipped into the seat across from Kurt, “My hair was a total mess. Curls and bed head don't mix well.”

Kurt chuckled and pressed his lips together. Blaine noticed that he had a slight blush painting his cheeks and his heart rate picked up slightly. Kurt waved his empty coffee cup at him, “I'm going to get a refill. What do you want?”

Blaine's eyes widened and he shook his head, “I'll just go with you and-”

“Blaine,” Kurt said quietly, “Let me buy you coffee, alright?”

Blaine ducked his head to hide his pleased smile and nodded slightly. Kurt grinned at him when he muttered, “Medium drip please,” and then got up to get his order.

Blaine watched him go, noticing the clothing he wore for the first time. It wasn't anything like what he had been wearing the first time they met; for one, his jeans weren't skin tights and his shirt didn't cling to him in ways that showed off how tiny his waist was compared to his broad shoulders. Instead he wore lose slacks and a red and navy sweater-vest that covered a white button up shirt. Blaine wondered if it was a school uniform, remembering how Kurt had mentioned in his text that he didn't know when public school's got out. 

Blaine glanced nervously around the Lima Bean, finding it slightly funny that he tended to go months without leaving his house out of fear of running into the jocks from his old school and yet somehow had been dragged out two days in a row. He wondered what else Kurt Anderson would be able to make him do without even blinking an eye. 

He bit his lip and quickly looked away when a boy his age caught his eye, slouching slightly in his chair to make himself smaller. 

“Sit up straight, you'll kill your back slouching like that,” Blaine looked up and saw Kurt smiling down at him and holding out a cup of coffee. Blaine thanked him quietly and sat up straighter, ignoring the feeling of the boy from earlier watching him. 

“So, I guess I should explain what that phone call yesterday was about,” said Kurt, much too calm about the situation. Blaine wished he could be as comfortable in his own skin as Kurt seemed to be. He was sitting across from a boy he had only met the day before and he was talking to him as if he'd known him his entire life. Blaine really wished he could do that.

“You don't have to,” he mumbled, taking a drink of his coffee, “I mean, you don't owe me anything.”

Kurt shifted slightly in his seat and put his coffee cup on the table, “Can I be really frank with you Blaine?”

Blaine squirmed, waiting for Kurt to tell him that this was all a fluke, that he would really appreciate it if Blaine deleted his number and forgot any of this happened, “Yeah, sure,” he said quietly, bracing himself for Kurt telling him straight up that he could never be friends with somebody as hopeless as him. 

This was why he never approached boys.

“I really like you. I mean, I think I might, if we got to know each other,” wait, _what_ , “You're really attractive, seriously.”

“Um,” Blaine didn't know what to say. He had been so ready for Kurt to stand up and walk away that...

“I know I can be sort of... a lot, at first. I'm outgoing, I'm comfortable with people, I sort of can't help it. But I just wanted you to know that I would really, _really_ like to get to know you better. That's why I want to explain what happened yesterday so bad; I just don't want us to start off on the wrong terms.”

Blaine stared at him in complete silence for a very long time, not quite sure that he had heard right. No, this wasn't happening. There was no way that after his father beginning to date again and Quinn and Puck keeping secrets from him that something good was finally happening. 

“Can you please say something? I'm starting to feel like I seriously overstepped. Oh my God,” Kurt held a hand over his mouth, “You're not even gay, are you? God, I totally just assumed, I'm so sorry-”

Blaine shook his head, “No, I'm gay. I just...” he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, “I guess if we're being honest I might as well come clean. When I said that I don't really talk to people who I haven't known my whole life, I literally meant that. And there are only three people I have known my whole life; my dad and my two best friends.

“I'm incredibly awkward, I don't really know how to act right now. I've never had anybody show interest towards me ever before, and the only time that I've had any contact with people who aren't my father and my two friends was during my three months at McKinley High. And the interest they showed me was a bit more... aggressive.”

Kurt reached out and grabbed his hand, making Blaine jump almost ten feet in the air, “Blaine, I'm so-”

“God, I don't even know why I just told you all that,” he chuckled, wet his lips and then almost groaned because he was tearing up. How was it that the only thing he seemed to know how to do lately was cry?

“No, this is good. Look, I can see the way you're staring at me right now. You think I'm going to walk away, thinking you're some sort of freak of nature,” Blaine blushed at the accuracy of Kurt's words, “I'm not. I've- I've made some mistakes. In the past. But I'm done with that and... I guess you're sort of a fresh start for me, in a way.”

Blaine drew his hand back towards himself, feeling uncomfortable with the prolonged physical contact, “My life is a mess right now,” he admitted quietly. Kurt chuckled.

“Mine too.”

Blaine looked up at Kurt and saw him smiling gently at him. Blaine nodded, more to himself than to Kurt and then said, “I-I know you said you really like me, and I don't want to make assumptions but...”

“I do mean it in a 'I would tap that' way,” said Kurt quickly and Blaine instantly flushed to the roots of his hair. Kurt groaned to himself and rolled his eyes, “Sorry. I just- I don't think before I speak. I told you, I'm sort of a lot at first.”

Blaine smiled, despite his blush, and coughed, “I-I don't mind,” he said quietly, “But Kurt,” he spoke up a bit, “You have to know that... I'm not going to- to do that. With you.”

Kurt pursed his lips together and nodded slowly, “I didn't expect you to just-”

“No, I mean. My life really is a mess right now. And I don't think I'd be able to handle a- a boyfriend or... whatever. Right now.”

Kurt spluttered out a laugh and then covered his mouth with his hand, looking slightly guilty when he saw that Blaine's face had fallen, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean- look, I think we can both agree that all both of us need is a friend right now.”

Blaine bit his lip, looking down at his lap, feeling disappointment well up inside him. He had no right, he knew that. He'd told Kurt that he didn't want a boyfriend, so hearing Kurt say he didn't want Blaine to be his boyfriend should be a good thing... right? Except the way Kurt had laughed... it was like the idea of him and Blaine being boyfriends hadn't even crossed his mind. Maybe Blaine had just been seeing the things he wanted to see. God, he was so-

“I don't do boyfriends,” Kurt elaborated quickly, “It's not you. I swear it isn't you. I just- okay. You remember why I asked you to meet me here in the first place?”

Blaine nodded, feeling slightly less stupid, but still a little disappointed ( _irrationally_ his mind helpfully supplied) “Yeah, you wanted to explain that phone call from yesterday...”

“Exactly. Look, Blaine, the guy I was on the phone with yesterday... I screwed up with him. Majorly. He-he wants something from me, something I just can't give him. I'm not in the right place or at the right maturity level to be involved in a relationship right now.”

Blaine pursed his lips, “Why are you doing this? Why are you telling me all this?”

Kurt laced his fingers together over the table and gave Blaine a look that he couldn't exactly decipher, “I don't know,” he said, “Honestly I've never been so drawn to a person as I am to you. And like I said, I do want to get to know you.”

Blaine looked over Kurt's face, traced the sharp angles of his cheekbones, the soft bow of his lips. He got caught on the beautiful blue/green of his eyes and how sincere they looked. Blaine had never seen such sincerity in a pair of eyes in his life. 

He took a deep breath, “So, that conversation I overheard...”

Kurt let out a loud laugh before delving into his story. As he spoke, Blaine couldn't help but admire the way the light hit his eyes, the way he moved his hands as he explained something, how he was constantly shifting as if he couldn't sit still. 

“ _I don't do boyfriends.”_

Blaine was so royally screwed.


	5. Chapter 5

Driving back to Dalton from the Lima Bean, Kurt felt like he had lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. After his conversation with Chandler the night before, Kurt had honestly considered cancelling his meeting with Blaine. But after talking to him for almost two hours straight, telling him about everything and having Blaine tell him exactly what he needed to hear (“I'm glad that you told him it was over Kurt, really I am, but if this happens to you again you need to end it before you get to the point where you... you know...”), he honestly felt a bit better about everything.

Or at least he felt better than he had felt after talking to Sebastian about it. 

Kurt wondered when exactly his life had become what it was. He wondered when he had become somebody who used someone because he knew they had feelings for him. He wondered when he became someone who actually listened to what his parents had to say. He wondered why Blaine hadn't run screaming in the opposite direction the second that Kurt had finished his story. 

He pulled into the Dalton parking lot and rolled his eyes when he saw Sebastian by the front entrance, his face attached to Sam Evan's mouth and his hands roaming his back. Kurt got out of his car and slammed the door loudly, getting the two boys' attention. They pulled apart and turned to see Kurt with his eyebrows raised. Sam blushed a bright red, mumbled something to Sebastian and then scurried away. Kurt smirked at his friend's annoyance and at the look he was sending him. 

“Goddamn cockblock,” muttered Sebastian as Kurt walked by him. Kurt gave him a winning smile, and continued into the school. Sebastian scowled and then followed him, “Hey, did you hear me? You just fucking blocked my cock.”

“Poor baby,” replied Kurt, faking a pout. Sebastian glared at him and Kurt just grinned, “Hey, do you think Thad would accept me into that chastity club thing?”

Sebastian raised both eyebrows, “Why the fuck would you want in that stupid thing?”

Kurt shrugged, moving faster when he noticed some of the glances he was getting from his classmates, “Do you need a memory refresher? My parents threatened to disinherit me if something like what happened the other night happened again.”

Sebastian laughed, “So what, now you're reverting to your old virginal self? Jesus, just make sure you don't have your cell phone on you when you do it!”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “It's not that simple. Look, you can say whatever you want, but I'm done with all this sleeping around and drinking shit. I can't risk it.”

They made it to the dormitory hall and Kurt began rummaging through his pockets for his keys. Sebastian was staring at him like he had lost his mind. Maybe he had.

“Who the fuck are you and what have you done with Kurt Anderson?”

Kurt snorted and opened the door, walking in and falling down on his bed with a loud thump. Sebastian followed suit, but on his own bed across the room. Kurt took of his blazer and threw it onto his desk, “I'm not saying you have to join me on the chastity train. God, that'd be the day.”

“I thought it'd be the day when _you_ hopped onto that train. What the hell? Did you fall on your head or something?”

Kurt groaned and turned slightly to face his friend, “I talked to Chandler yesterday.” Sebastian let out a half yell, covering his face with his arm. He mumbled something into his arm which Kurt didn't hear, “What?”

“I said,” Sebastian pulled his hand away, “What sort of drug did he slip into your drink to get you to think about giving up everything you are.”  
Kurt chuckled at that, “Having sex and getting drunk isn't who I am. I'm loud and obnoxious, and a bit of a flirt. I get good grades because I care about my future, I have a horrible relationship with my family, and the worst taste in friends,” Sebastian threw a pillow at him, “But sleeping around is not who I am. That's something I enjoy doing, but not who I am.”

“Well, it's who I am,” clarified Sebastian. Kurt threw the pillow back at him, “Seriously though. You're not going to start ragging on me for not jumping aboard the crazy express, right?”

Kurt laughed and shook his head, “Like I said, that'd be the day.”

His phone rung and Kurt groaned when he realized it was the ringtone he had set for his brother. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed the answer button, “What?”

“Why the fuck did you give that Chandler kid my phone number?”

Kurt sighed and covered his eyes with his forearm, “I didn't. He must have gotten it off my phone or something.”

Cooper grumbled, “Well, tell him to stop calling me. He keeps going on about God knows what, I don't know I'm not paying attention. What the hell did you do to him?”

“Don't wanna talk about it,” he muttered, “I'll tell him to cut it out.”

“You fucking better.”

“Love you too,” said Kurt sarcastically before he hung up. He snorted, “Didn't even ask what happened with mom and dad. Fucking family man,” he started dialling Chandler's number and nodded towards the door, “I'll be right back alright?”

Sebastian waved him away. Kurt rolled his eyes fondly and then went to deal with his most serious problem at the moment.

**

 

The next day, school seemed to drag on forever. And it wasn't as if Kurt had something to do or somewhere to be, it was simply a boring day. Jeff had briefly entertained him during his fifth period English class, but other than that...

Even Warbler practice made him want to beat his head up against a wall. The council, it seemed, decided that their regular Tuesday rehearsal would be spent deciding on a possible set list for Regional's and then arguing over whether Kurt or Sebastian's voices were better suited for each song. Honestly by the end of the day Kurt just wanted to scream.

“Would you get that look off your face?” Kurt glanced back to see Nick and Thad walking towards him, “Just because Sebastian's voice would sound better for Stairway to Heaven doesn't mean you have to PMS for the rest of the day.”

Kurt ignored him and turned to Thad, “You know that chastity club you run?”

Thad raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly, “You're not going to try and boycott it, right? Because the other week somebody put up a bunch of pornographic pictures in the room and we lost at least three members.”

Nick did a little fist pump at that, and Thad glared at him, “No, I'm not going to boycott it,” said Kurt quickly, “I actually want to join.”

“You've gotta be kidding me.”

Thad glared at Nick even harder and then turned to Kurt, “You know, normally I wouldn't say this, but Nick sort of has a point.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “What, just because I'm not a virgin means I'm not allowed to join the chastity club?”

Thad's eyes widened, “No, not at all! Just... you're you. You don't seem like the type...”

“Why do you of all people want to join the celibacy club?” asked Nick, his face the very portrait of shock.

“I'm kind of trying to reinvent myself. Or, focus more on the aspects of myself that I've been ignore in favour of sex and alcohol,” Thad smiled softly at that, “So what, can I join?”

Nick scoffed, “This is ridiculous.”

“Of course you can join,” Thad said, putting an hand on Kurt's arm, “We have meetings every Monday and Wednesday at six.”

Kurt grinned and then said a quick goodbye to his friends, who seemed to have engaged in the typical battle of chastity vs. down to fuck, and made his way towards his dorm. He silently hoped that Sebastian would be gloating over getting the Led Zeppelin solo long enough for him to at least have a few minutes alone with his cell phone.

He dumped his bag on his bed as soon as he was in his room and pulled out his phone. He ignored the four missed calls from Chandler (he would deal with that later) and pulled up Blaine's contact. He smiled at the picture he had sneaked of him at the Lima Bean the previous day. Blaine was looking away from the camera, a shy smile on his face and a light blush colouring his cheeks. Kurt sighed and shook his head slightly. “Blaine Hummel, what are you doing to me?” he flicked his hair slightly so that it was out of his eyes and then pressed the call button before he could stop himself.

It rang three times before Blaine picked up, “Hello?” his voice was breathy and shy. Kurt grinned and fell down onto his bed.

“Hey. It's Kurt.”

“I know,” said Blaine, “I mean, you know- Caller ID.”

Kurt snickered, “So, guess why I called you.”

“Um...”

“Or not,” Kurt bit his lip and toyed slightly with a loose string on his sheet, “I'll just tell you. I joined the celibacy club.”

Blaine was quiet for a few seconds and then he burst into laughter, soft and melodious. It made Kurt's heart rate pick up, “Oh my gosh. You called me to tell me you joined the celibacy club?”

Kurt pouted, “Well, I thought you would be proud of me or something. If I had known you were going to laugh at me I wouldn't have told you.”

Blaine continued laughing, “I'm sorry, it's just- wow. Never mind.”

“No, tell me.”

“No, I said never mind.”

“Blaine.”

“Kurt.”

“Don't be a brat,” Blaine laughed again, “Please?”

“Kurt, I said-”

“Pretty please?”

“-never mind.”

“With a cherry on top?”

“You'll think I'm weird,” said Blaine quietly. Kurt smiled and shuffled slightly so that his head was against the pillow at the head of the bed. He had noticed that Blaine said exactly that several times the day before; he'd be talking about something and then he'd suddenly cut himself off, say “never mind, you'll think I'm weird,” and then shift the conversation so that it revolved around Kurt again. 

Kurt found it absolutely endearing.

“I won't,” he promised.

“Yes you will. Heck, _I_ think I'm weird,” Kurt giggled, because if Blaine saying 'heck' instead of 'hell' wasn't the most adorable thing he'd ever heard, well, he didn't know what was. 

“I think you're cute. Tell me.”

It was one of those moments where Kurt worried that his lack of filter was pushing Blaine away. He had had several moments like that the previous day, when he'd compliment Blaine or say something flirty and Blaine would flush a deep red and completely shut off for a few minutes. Kurt couldn't help but wonder if he was the first guy to actually show interest in Blaine. The thought upset him. 

Blaine mumbled something that Kurt completely missed, “What? Sorry, I was kind of lost in thought.”

Blaine coughed, “I just said that I've never had anyone other than Puck and Quinn call me just to tell me random things.”

If Kurt had been upset before, he definitely was now. A sharp pang of some unknown feeling hit him and he let out a deep sigh. He ran a hand over his face, not quite sure what to say.

“You think I'm really lame, don't you?” Blaine's voice was quite, taking on that shy quality of his that Kurt found so adorable. Kurt shook his head, even though Blaine couldn't see him.

“Not at all,” Blaine scoffed and Kurt sat up, “I'm serious. Honestly I'm just surprised every time you say stuff like that.”

“Why?”

“Because you're easily one of the most awesome people I've ever met, Blaine. And I just don't understand how you don't have thousands of friends just begging to spend time with you.”

Blaine was quiet for a few seconds. When he spoke, Kurt noticed that his voice was slightly rough as if he was trying very hard not to cry.

“Thank you.”

Kurt hummed and then grinned, “So, since we've established that you don't have a waiting list of people wanting to hang out with you, why don't I head over there and we can do something together?”

He heard Blaine taking in a sharp breath and he squirmed slightly in excitement, “What kind of something?”

Kurt shrugged, “Anything. I don't care. I just need to get out of this fucking school, I'm kind of going nuts.”

Blaine laughed, “Alright. Meet you at the Lima Bean in thirty minutes?”

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “It's a date,” and then widened his eyes, at Blaine's sharp inhaling, “I mean-”

“I know what you mean,” Blaine spoke quietly and Kurt mumbled “Goddammit,” to himself at how dejected Blaine sounded, “I'll meet you there.”

He hung up before Kurt could say anything. Kurt grumbled and glared at his phone, as if it would be able to turn back time so that he could avoid his untimely word vomit. He then let out a deep sigh and went towards his closet to see if he had anything clean that would make him look absolutely fantastic. Even if it wasn't a date didn't mean he couldn't look good.

Just as he picked up his favourite pair of skinny jeans, the door burst open and Kurt turned to find a very disgruntled looking Sebastian breathing heavily.

“You joined the _celibacy club_?”

**

Talking to Blaine, be it via text, phone calls or in person, soon became the highlight of Kurt's day. It didn't matter if he was having the most boring day in the history of the world or if everything went his way; the second that he saw Blaine's picture flashing on his screen or when he walked into the Lima Bean to find Blaine already sitting down with two cups of coffee and a blush his day was made. 

He wasn't exactly sure when it happened, but about two weeks before Regional's, Kurt realized that he was actually spending more time with Blaine than with Sebastian. The realization had stumped Kurt, but he had quickly waved it off as 'new friend hype'. After all, he and Blaine had only been friends for about two weeks, obviously Kurt was going to spend a lot of time with him. 

About a week before Regional's, Sebastian called him out on it.

“Okay, wait, so basically they promised to give you time; but that time has a time limit?” he asked into his phone, raising his eyebrows. Blaine hummed on the other end.

“Yeah. Puck came banging at my door at like, three am, drunk out of his mind telling me I was being immature and that I needed to just get over it. I don't know, maybe I am being immature about this...”

Kurt tutted, “Absolutely not. You have every right to be upset and to want time to yourself to figure things out.”

“I know, but maybe I'm taking too long. I mean, it has been three weeks...”

Kurt was about to respond when the door to his room burst open and Sebastian stormed in, grabbed the phone from Kurt, hissed, “Sorry for the interruption, I'm going to have to borrow my _best friend_ for a moment,” hung up the phone, and then glared at Kurt. Kurt instantly stood up, a horrified expression on his face.

“What the fuck Sebastian, I was using that.”

“Yeah, no shit,” he rolled his eyes and tossed Kurt his phone before he made his way over to his bed, “What is going on with you Kurt? I feel like I don't even know you anymore.”

Kurt let out an indignant huff and crossed his arms over his chest, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Sebastian groaned, “Yes, you do. Don't play dumb. First it was that stupid celibacy thing-” Kurt glared at him and opened his mouth to say something but Sebastian continued, “-then you were running off as soon as class ended and either disappearing or locking me out of the room, and just yesterday you never showed up for baseball.”

Kurt shrugged awkwardly, “So what? I don't have to spend every second of every day with you, you know. I have other friends.”

“Yeah, but you haven't been hanging out with them either. I've asked like, everyone. Thad says he only sees you in class, at Warbler practices and during those stupid celibacy club meetings,” the way he said 'celibacy club' made it sound like it was some sort of mortal sin, “Jeff and Nick have been complaining because they only see you at Warbler practice and don't even get me started on Wes and David.”

Kurt glared up at Sebastian and set his jaw, “I have friends outside of this school, you know.”

“Yeah, if you consider the handful of guys you fuck when we go out 'friends',” Kurt blushed at that, “And that, right there! You just blushed. You never do that. Who the fuck are you and what have you done to my best friend?”

Kurt groaned and fell down against his bed, rubbing his face. This was definitely classified under 'conversations I would rather not have'. 

“I don't know, okay?” he said, “I'm not like, purposefully ignoring you. So, if that's what you're thinking you can just forget it.”

“Then what is it? Because the only thing I can think of that would make you do this sort of thing would be-” he stopped talking and Kurt had to turn to look at him, his brow furrowed. When his eyes found Sebastian's he was surprised to find all the anger gone from his friend's face. Instead he found him smirking with his eye brow's raised, a devilish glint to his eyes.

“I don't like that look.”

“You're in love.”

Kurt let out an extremely undignified squack and sat up, “I am _not.”_

“Yes you are! Oh my God, it all makes sense now; the not sleeping around, spending all your time on your phone or disappearing with no one knowing where you're going.”

“Sebastian, seriously, this is me. Do I really seem like the type who-”

“Who is it?” Sebastian's eyes widened, “Wait, I'll just-” he dove towards Kurt, and before he could even react Sebastian had his phone in his hand.

“What are you doing? Give that back,” he stood up and went to grab the phone, but Sebastian turned around and held him back with one arm.

“Oh my God! It's gorgeous-Lima-coffee-shop-guy. You're in _love_ with gorgeous-Lima-coffee-”

Kurt continued his attempts to grab his phone from Sebastian's hands while angrily muttering, “I'm not in love, who do you think I am?”

Sebastian held his hand out so that his palm covered Kurt's face as he held his phone up, making sure that Kurt could see what he was doing. Kurt's eyes widened when he noticed that Sebastian was looking through his texts with Blaine.

“Aw, Kurtsie, that's so cute! _You're the most amazing person I've ever met, Blaine_. Dear God, when's the wedding?”

Kurt shoved himself away from Sebastian, glaring at him as he tried to arrange his hair. Sebastian continued to look through his texts, letting out a sarcastic “aww,” every now and then. Kurt let out an impatient huff and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his fingers on his forearms in irritation. 

“Wow, I didn't realize you were such a romantic Kurt. You've got this guy eating out of the palm of your hand.”

Kurt set his jaw, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, “Seriously, who the hell are you? The Kurt I know has always known the affects he has on guys.”

“Yeah,” Kurt was really getting annoyed, “I know if they want to stick their hands down my pants. Blaine-”

“Wants to have babies with you.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and made grabby hands for his phone, “Sebastian, seriously-”

The phone ringing cut Kurt off, and he only managed to get a glance at Blaine's picture on his screen before Sebastian was lifting the phone to his ear.

“Yes, hello?”

“Kurt?” Kurt heard Blaine's voice, quiet through the phone. Kurt growled and tried to grab the phone from Sebastian.

“No, sweetheart, this is Sebastian. I'm Kurt's best friend.”

The other side of the line was quiet for a while and during it Sebastian put his hand over Kurt's face again and pushing him away.

“Oh, sorry. I just- me and Kurt were talking and he left so- I'll just-”

Sebastian cooed into the phone, “Well aren't you just the darlingest thing. Isn't he adorable Kurt?”

“Sebastian, you're being an asshole and you know it. Now quit the condescending tone because Blaine isn't two,” Sebastian's eyebrows raised and he smirked at Kurt's biting tone.

“Kitty's got claws.”

“Look, I'll just-”

“Blaine, don't hang up!” Kurt smacked Sebastian on the arm, “You, give me my phone back.”

“You sure are getting worked up about this. Say, Blaine, did you know that Kurt here joined the celibacy club?”

“Yes, he-”

“And do you know why he did it?” Kurt swallowed deeply. This wasn't going to end well. He struggled against Sebastian's hand even harder.

“He, um, his parents,” was Blaine's quiet reply. Kurt could practically picture him blushing on the other end of the phone. 

“You know, that's what he told me too,” Sebastian smirked at Kurt, “But you know, I'm starting to think it has more to do with the fact that you're a virgin-” Kurt froze, his eyes widened and he was pretty sure his skin paled, “-and he thinks this will get him in your pants sooner.”

The room was silent for what felt like forever. Kurt's heart was racing in his chest, but he couldn't move. He simply stood there as Sebastian continued to smirk at him. He wanted to punch Sebastian, but all he could think about was what his friend had just said to Blaine and how that would affect the boy. He wished his vocal chords were working so that he could tell Blaine that what Sebastian said wasn't true; instead he continued to stand frozen in the middle of his room like an idiot.

The silence was broken by a small whimper that came from Kurt's phone and then the dial tone. 

Sebastian hung up the phone as well, tossed it onto the bed and then turned to Kurt, his smirk still firmly in place, “Sure is a sensitive thing, that one.”

Kurt clenched his fists as he seemed to regain control of his body. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes into the glare that he knew made even Sebastian tremble. Without saying a word he walked towards his bed, snatched up his phone, and then left the room. 

As he walked towards the parking lot he dialled Blaine's number, but it instantly went to his answering machine. Kurt grumbled and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

“Kurt!” he didn't turn at the sound of Sebastian's voice, just pushed through the front doors of the school and instantly turned towards where his car was parked. Before he could reach the car Sebastian grabbed his arm and spun him around, “Kurt, come on, it was a joke.”

Kurt felt anger build up inside him, “You made him cry. How exactly is that funny?”

Sebastian stared at him, his face falling and his eyes wide. Kurt pushed past him and got into his car, not exactly sure what he was doing but knowing that he had to fix the mess that Sebastian had just made.

Kurt had called Blaine about ten times before he arrived into Lima and made his way to the Lima Bean. He knew that Blaine probably wouldn't be there, but he had no idea where Blaine lived and really this was the only place he had ever seen him. 

He sat in his car, running his hands through his hair and cursing Sebastian under his breath. He began rummaging through his bag, hoping that he hadn't left his cigarettes at Dalton because he _really_ needed one. 

“Fuck,” he threw his bag onto the passenger seat when he couldn't find them. He looked around the parking lot, searching desperately for someone surrounded by smoke. When he was about to give up, he noticed a thin line of smoke coming from the side of the coffee shop and instantly jumped out of his car and made a beeline towards it. 

The guy smoking looked about his age, but Kurt didn't really notice much else. He really needed his fix before he punched something, “Hey, can I bum a smoke?”

The guy looked up at him and instantly nodded, grabbing his pack and flipping it open in Kurt's direction. Kurt grabbed one, slipped it between his lips and then nodded towards the guy. He seemed to chuckle at that and took out a lighter from his pocket. He flicked it to life and lit Kurt's cigarette.

The first drag made him feel like everything was going to be alright again. He inhaled deeply, instantly feeling better as the nicotine spread through his body. He let the smoke out, tipping his head back to exhale towards the sky when his throat began to close up. 

“Whoa. You needed that, did you?”

Kurt chuckled and took another drag, “You have no idea.”

“Bad day?” he asked. Kurt turned to tell him to kindly mind his own business, but never got to. Because standing beside him was Blaine's friend with the mohawk. Kurt's eyebrows flew up to his hairline in surprise and he almost started coughing up the smoke he had just inhaled.

“Oh my God. You're-”

The boy- Puck, if he remembered correctly- gave him an odd look, and then rolled his eyes and made to walk away, “Yeah, I know, I'm the loser who knocked up Quinn Fabray. Jesus, you people are so-”

Kurt grabbed his arm quickly, and made him turn towards him, “No, that's not what I meant at all.”

Puck sighed and stubbed his cigarette against the wall, “So what? I don't think there's anything else that I'd be known for.”

Kurt smiled slightly, “You're Blaine's friend, right?”

Puck's eyes instantly bugged and he pushed Kurt slightly so that they were covered in some shadows, “You know Blaine? Is he okay, I haven't-”

“No. I mean, yes, I know him and he's fine. Well, I think. I actually need your help with that.”

Puck pursed his lips, “What is it?”

“I need his address. He's-I think he needs me, but I've never been to his house,” he finished by taking another drag of his cigarette. Puck stared at him carefully, as if trying to see if he had some sort of ulterior motive. Kurt hoped he looked innocent- or at least as innocent as one could look with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He knew that Blaine didn't have many friends and that those who did were sort of protective of him. He didn't want to give this Puck guy a reason to beat him up. 

“Look, if you think I'm going to just hand his address over after everything that he's been through... how the hell am I supposed to know that you aren't going to throw pee balloons at him or something?”

Kurt sighed, “Why would I do that? Look, I'm a friend of Blaine's, I swear.”

Puck narrowed his eyes, “Then how come I've never heard of you, huh? I've known Blaine forever, I think I would know if he had a friend who looked like _you_.”

Kurt raised both eyebrows at that and was about to comment but decided not to. He was still sort of scared about the possibility of Puck beating him up, “Look, we met a few weeks ago and we've been talking and hanging out a lot. I can show you some texts between us, if you want,” he took his phone out of his pocket and pulled up his conversations with Blaine. Puck grabbed the phone, scanned the screen briefly, and then visibly deflated. He handed the phone back gently and leaned against the wall. 

“He lives on Whitman Avenue. Unit 415. It's just down the road from here.”

Kurt let out a relieved sigh and nodded, taking a final drag and then stubbing the cigarette against the wall as Puck had done, “Thank you so much. Seriously.”

He walked past Puck, but stopped when he heard a quiet, “Hey.” He turned around and saw the boy looking at the ground and rubbing the back of his neck, “Could you- I don't know. Tell Blaine how sorry me and Quinn are? And that we miss him. A lot.”

Kurt smiled softly and nodded. Puck smiled back and then gestured towards the parking lot. Kurt waved at him, thanked him once more, and then made his way back to his car. As he was pulling out of the Lima Bean parking lot, he began going over possible things he could say to Blaine to make everything okay.


	6. Chapter 6

Blaine was honestly getting tired of lying in his bed, curled up under his covers with his pillow held tightly against his chest, crying his eyes out. Ever since that fateful day at the Lima Bean, Kurt had become a steady presence in his life; and a very welcome one at that. Even though Blaine had to constantly remind himself that he wasn't allowed to like Kurt because Kurt didn't do boyfriends, and besides Kurt was way out of his league, he couldn't stop the small flutter in his chest that always came from his cell phone vibrating with a new text or ringing with a phone call. 

He had never met anyone like Kurt in his life. Granted, he hadn't met that many people, but Kurt was completely different from any of them. He was kind, sarcastic, outspoken, and entirely intoxicating. It also didn't help that he was absolutely gorgeous. He couldn't count how many times he had caught himself staring longingly at the picture of Kurt that he had snapped shortly after Kurt had sneak attacked the one of him. He had briefly considered printing it off and hanging it on his bulletin board with the rest of his pictures but he had instantly dismissed the idea. 

He knew about Kurt's past. Kurt had told him everything, about the drinking and the sleeping around (the thought of Kurt doing... that... with other guys always made his heart ache), and about how badly he had treated the last boy who had fallen in love with him. But he couldn't stop the way he felt about him. 

He had thought that Kurt liked him. Maybe not... _like_ liked him, but enough to call him cute and adorable (and precious, once. He had saved the text as soon as he had received it). He liked him enough to call him, text him , and meet up with him just to talk about random, mundane things. 

He had thought that he knew Kurt.

After receiving that phone call from Kurt's friend... it was like everything had come crumbling down. He didn't want to believe that, to Kurt, he was just another boy to pass the time with. But the way that his friend had said it, and how Kurt hadn't spoken at all to defend himself after... 

His father had tried talking to him, but Blaine had instantly sent him away. He appreciated the effort, but he wasn't sure if his father was ready to deal with boy problems. 

He really needed his mother in that moment.

The doorbell rang, but the sound sounded far off. As if it were coming from an entirely different universe. A universe where Blaine didn't fall for the first gay boy to show the remotest interest in him only to have his heart crushed before he could even finish falling in love. 

He was so _stupid_. He should have known from the start that he was just Kurt's next target. But Kurt had promised him that he was done with all that, that Blaine was a fresh start for him and that he didn't want his past to muddy up the friendship that they had. 

_Too late_ he thought bitterly as he held the pillow even closer to himself. God, he was pathetic. Lying alone in his bed, crying over a boy he had known for less than a month. A boy that was probably telling his friend off for telling Blaine about his game far sooner than Blaine was supposed to find out. 

_What if he hadn't told me though?_ he couldn't help but wonder. What would have happened if he had continued what he had with Kurt? Would he have...

He let out a particularly loud sob that was interrupted by a soft knock on his door. Blaine pulled his blanket over his head so that he was completely buried under it. There was another knock and then the door opened slightly, “Blaine, buddy? There's... there's someone here to see you.”

Blaine groaned. He really didn't feel like putting up with Quinn and Puck at this moment, “Tell them I'm not home.”

There was a brief silence before a soft voice reached him, “Blaine, please.”

Blaine tensed under his blanket and pulled it closer around him. Kurt? What was Kurt...

“Maybe you should come back another time, son,” he heard his father say quietly. Blaine's heart beat sped up and he shook his head, knowing full well that neither Kurt nor his dad could see him. 

“But I really need to talk to Blaine, sir. And soon, I know why he's-”

“He can stay,” Blaine croaked, his voice rough from crying. There was more silence and then the door closed. Blaine held his pillow tightly and waited for Kurt's voice, but it never came. Instead he heard soft footsteps coming towards his bed, and then the bed dipped slightly and Kurt's hand was on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Blaine crying quietly as Kurt sat in silence, simply laying his hand on his shoulder; not stroking, just keeping it there. A warm, solid weight. 

Finally, he found his voice and broke the silence, “You smell like tobacco.”

Kurt chuckled quietly and gripped his shoulder slightly, “I would say that I'm trying to quit, but I don't think it would help my case.”

Blaine pulled his blanket down from in front of his face slowly, so that only his eyes and nose were visible. Kurt smiled softly at him, but didn't move farther or closer. They stared at each other for a few seconds, Blaine painfully aware of how awful he looked with his curls smooshed against his forehead and his eyes red and puffy from crying. Whatever intentions Kurt had with him, they were probably gone now.

“Who told you my address?” Blaine asked, his voice still raspy. Kurt shrugged and looked down at where his hand was resting against Blaine's shoulder, his fingers playing with a loose thread.

“I went to the Lima Bean,” he shrugged and then chuckled, “I guess I thought that since I've only ever seen you there you would automatically be there or something, I don't know,” his eyes flickered up to meet Blaine's for a split second before dropping again, “Saw your friend Puck there. He's the reason for the... tobacco smell.”

Blaine pulled himself slightly further out from under the covers, just so that everything under his chin was hidden.

“I keep telling him to quit,” he mumbled. Kurt smiled shyly and then shifted so that he was sitting fully on the bed.

“He told me to say hi,” Kurt shrugged slightly, “And that he misses you.”

Blaine sighed, “I can't believe he just gave you my address. Who knows who you could have been...”

Kurt shook his head instantly, “He didn't. Just give me your address I mean. I had to convince him I was your friend. He couldn't believe you had a friend who, I quote, 'looks like _that'_ and you didn't tell him.”

Blaine flushed a dark red and burrowed himself slightly under the covers, feeling hot shame flow through him. Kurt knew. Puck had opened his big, stupid mouth and told Kurt that he was exactly Blaine's type and now Kurt felt bad for playing such a stupid, innocent little boy like Blaine...

“He really feels bad, you know,” said Kurt, unaware of Blaine's inner ramblings, “About everything. He said that he and Quinn would love to talk to you.”

Blaine glanced at Kurt and his heart instantly jolted. Kurt honestly looked so beautiful that it hurt. He had his lower lip trapped between his teeth and he was looking at Blaine through his eyelashes, his eyes shining with a thousand different shades of blue. God, Blaine could so easily fall in love with this boy. 

It was that thought that reminded him of his conversation with Kurt's friend earlier and why he was currently wrapped tightly in his blankets.

“Why are you here Kurt?” he asked, meaning to sound cold but in the end just sounding pathetic. He was pretty sure that his voice had cracked, and tears were pooling in his eyes again. 

Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “Blaine...” a tear fell down Blaine's cheek at the way he said it. _This is it_ , “What Sebastian said... That's not true at all.”

Blaine sniffled and looked up at Kurt, hoping beyond hope that he didn't look as pathetic as he felt, “Why should I-”

Kurt sat up straight and glared at him, “Why should you believe me?” he scoffed, “Why should you believe Sebastian?” Blaine opened his mouth, but found that he literally had nothing to say. He pursed his lips and looked away from his friend, “Yeah, exactly. Look, Blaine, just listen to me.”

Blaine shut his eyes tight and a few more tears escaped. He was so stupid. _Stupid stupid stupid_ , “What?”

“I'm not- Blaine, you know I'm not just using you because I want to... Look. I won't lie, of course I've thought about having sex with you; you're a virgin, it'd be hot and- Shit,” he interrupted himself when Blaine let out a loud sob. _Stupid stupid stupid_ , “That's not what I meant to say, I don't know why I can't talk around you. It's like, I get this weird word vomit thing. Ugh. Can I start again?”

Blaine shook his head and whispered, “I think you should leave.”

Things were quiet for a few seconds as Blaine waited for Kurt's weight to be lifted off his bed. He cried quietly, desperately waiting while the continuous mantra of _stupid stupid you're so stupid_ ran through his head over and over again. Finally Kurt stood up, making the bed shift slightly. For some reason ( _some reason my ass, you_ know _the reason)_ it made Blaine cry harder to know that Kurt was just giving up on him.

Except then there was hot breath on his face and Blaine opened his eyes to find himself face to face with Kurt.

“I'm not going to leave until you let me clear everything up, because dammit Blaine you mean too much to me. And I'm not just going to walk out of your life because of a stupid misunderstanding.”

Blaine pulled his blanket closer around him but kept his eyes locked on Kurt's. Everything about this situation was screaming at him to shut himself off. This was why he didn't meet new people, new people always hurt you. People you'd known forever always hurt you. Everyone hurt you. 

_He's your new start remember?_ Blaine hated that little voice in the back of his head, that little logical side of himself. _You've always stepped outside of your comfort zones for him. One last time won't hurt, will it?_

He knew it probably would, but he nodded his head towards Kurt anyway.

“Blaine, you remember when we first met? How you overheard that God-awful conversation between me and Chandler? And then I told you about my parents and all that?” Blaine nodded, “Those are the reasons I joined the celibacy club. Those are the reasons I stopped sleeping around and drinking. You just made my decision to do all that easier.

“You sort of came in when I most needed you Blaine. My life before you was... God. That was Sebastian's life, not mine. I guess I sort of got sucked into it, and I guess it didn't help that my parents hated it because I never liked them and it gave me a bit of a rebellious streak or whatever. But then you came in and just... you changed everything. I don't think I would have been able to handle a single session of celibacy club if it weren't for the thought of how proud you'd be of me for doing it.”

He wasn't sure when, but at some point Blaine had started crying. He hated that he kept crying, it was so stupid, so juvenile. He was so stupid and juvenile. God, why was Kurt still here?

“I'm going to be completely serious Blaine, the first time I saw you the first thought that went through my head was 'I want to pin him up against a wall'. But then you opened your mouth and just... I never wanted to hurt you. You're such a beautiful human being Blaine, and the fact that you're lying there crying because of me is kind of breaking my heart.”

Blaine wanted to say something, but he couldn't. He simply couldn't find the words. So when Kurt whispered, “Please say something,” he couldn't. All he could do was cry. Cry because he had never liked someone the way he liked Kurt, and Kurt was just there because he felt bad for him. Cry because he couldn't talk to his father about boys the way he wanted to. Cry because he didn't have his mother to talk to about boys either. Cry because he had pushed away the only two friends he ever had.

He wished he would just stop crying.

“Blaine,” Kurt said after a minute, “I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry that Sebastian is an asshole because if there's one thing you aren't, it's just another fuck. My friendship with you was never about that, and trust me when I say that I've never had a friendship with another gay boy that wasn't about that.”

Blaine just cried harder. He simply buried his face in his pillow and cried harder.

“Blaine, please, _please_ say something. I feel like I'm just making everything worse.”

Finally Blaine found his voice, “You're not,” he whispered, “You're not, you actually made everything better. My life was falling apart, and you just came in and swooped me off my feet and made everything okay again,” he couldn't stop the tears, or the ache in his heart and he wish he could, he wish he could make it stop hurting because it shouldn't hurt, but it _did_.

“And that's why I think it hurt so much to hear that. Because all my life I've dreamed of someone like you; someone kind, and witty, someone who could make me do more than live my life hidden from the world. You-you mean so much to me Kurt,” his voice cracked, “I don't think you even know how much you mean to me.”

Kurt leaned forward, placed his hands over Blaine's where they were clutching desperately at his blanket, and then rested his chin gently on them, “You mean so much to me too Blaine. God, more than you'll ever know. And... and I don't know what's going on here just yet but... I'm not ready to give up on this.”

Blaine stared into his eyes, deep blue that swirled to turn into green and grey. Whenever Kurt looked at him he felt like he was bared open for him, as if Kurt could peer right into the depths of his soul. And he had always loved that, loved the feeling of being so vulnerable because it was Kurt. But now he just felt naked.

“I'm so stupid,” he whispered before he could stop himself. Kurt's eyes widened and he instantly began to shake his head, but Blaine just continued, “I'm so stupid, so stupid for believing your friend when he said that and I'm so stupid for pushing my friends and my father away from me and just...” he couldn't continue, his rant breaking off into more sobbing. God, he just couldn't stop crying.

“You are not stupid Blaine,” said Kurt, squeezing his hands, “You're a human being who has been hurt, and it's normal for you to want to shut people out.”

Blaine shook his head, “No, it's not, it's _selfish_. It was selfish to tell my dad not to see Carole because _I_ wasn't ready for him to move on. It was selfish of me to push Puck and Quinn away when they're already dealing with so much and it was selfish of me to make you drive all the way out here just to-”

“Don't even finish that sentence Blaine Hummel. Don't you dare.”

Blaine looked up at Kurt through watery eyes and felt his chest fill with warmth at the look Kurt was giving him, “You are not selfish for wanting time to yourself after finding that your friends have been lying to you for months. You are not selfish for not being ready to move on from your mother's death. And you didn't make me do anything. I chose to come here so I could fix things with you because Sebastian is an asshole and I'm pretty sure I'm going to punch him in the face when I get back to Dalton.”

“Don't do that,” whispered Blaine, his heart pitter-pattering in his chest as Kurt's words sunk in, “Don't punch him, you'll just get in more trouble with your parents.”

Kurt laughed softly at that and then shrugged and smirked, “It's been almost a month since The Incident. I think things have been a too calm for too long, don't you think?”

Blaine rolled his eyes. He shuffled slightly so that he was sitting up, propped against his pillows. He pursed his lips and then shyly patted the empty spot beside him on the bed. Kurt's face lit up in a beautiful smile that took Blaine's breath away and then, much to Blaine's embarrassment (and excitement), he climbed over Blaine to reach the spot instead of walking around the edge of the bed. 

He wiggled his hips a little to get comfortable, and suddenly Blaine was painfully aware that he was technically in bed with a boy for the first time. His face instantly flushed bright red and he looked over his room, looking for something to distract him from the following thought of _but this isn't Kurt's first time with a boy in his bed_. God, he just couldn't get over that. 

“Hey, you okay?” asked Kurt, moving closer to him, “You got kind of red all of a sudden. Is it too hot in here? I can ask your dad to turn on the air conditioning if you'd like.”

Blaine shook his head and then, before he could stop himself, said, “No, it's just that I've never had a guy with me on this bed; not even Puck.”

Kurt's eyes lit up and he grinned, “Well them I'm honoured to be your first,” Blaine just flushed further at that. Kurt didn't seem to notice, his eyes travelling over Blaine's room as his head dropped onto Blaine's shoulder, “I really like your room.”

“Thanks,” Blaine mumbled. Kurt's head shifted slightly and then left entirely. He looked a bit confused and then glanced at Blaine, bitting his lip. 

“Is that your mother?” he asked, pointing at the large picture on the far wall of Blaine with his parents when he was eight. It had been taken just a few weeks before his mother had died, and she had been so excited when the prints had arrived in the mail. 

“Yeah,” he said quietly. He had always loved that picture, but he had only hung it in his room recently. Before then it was just... too painful. Kurt leaned back but didn't put his head back on Blaine's shoulder, much to Blaine's disappointment. 

“She's beautiful,” Kurt whispered, almost reverently, “You have her hair.”

Blaine smiled softly, “She wore it better.”

“You've never mentioned her before,” Kurt turned to look at him questioningly, “I apologize if it's a sore spot but... what happened to her?”

Blaine shrugged despite the familiar ache that settled in his chest when he spoke of his mother, “Car accident,” he said, “The doctor's said there was no pain.”

Kurt's head returned to his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. 

“I'm sorry. I didn't know.”

“Not your fault,” Blaine mumbled. He couldn't help but feel that Kurt fit absolutely perfectly right where he was. It was like he was meant to fit right into Blaine. His face snuggled into Blaine's neck, his other arm coming around to lock Blaine into a beautiful embrace. His warmth made Blaine feel safe and cared for. 

They lay there for a long time, Blaine basking in the feeling of being held by a boy for the first time. At one point Kurt began running his fingers absently through Blaine's hair, and Blaine was pretty sure that if he were a cat, he would be purring. 

“Hey,” when Kurt spoke, he did it quietly, as if to not disturb the calm that had settled over both of them. It was only then that Blaine realized he had stopped crying.

“Hey,” Blaine whispered back. 

“Let's get out of here,” said Kurt, smiling against Blaine's neck.

“And do what?” asked Blaine, slightly afraid of the answer. 

“Anything we want.”

Blaine turned to look at Kurt and smiled. His eyes felt tired from crying and he wanted nothing more than to lie in Kurt's arms for the rest of the day; but the thought of doing anything he wanted with Kurt was an opportunity he wasn't going to pass up.

“Lead the way.”


	7. Chapter 7

Convincing Blaine's father to let him go out with a boy he'd never met before while Blaine's eyes were still red and puffy from crying turned out to be much more difficult than he had originally expected. And he had expected it to be quite difficult. 

The problem was that Kurt didn't know how to interact with parents. Or anybody over thirty. He had hooked up with a twenty-six year old once, but that was as far as he got. He was sure that it stemmed from his relationship (or lack thereof) with his parents. And from having Chandler's parents walk in on him with his face in their son's ass. Either way, he wasn't very good at talking or being around adults. Especially protective father's. 

“And you'll be back by curfew?” Burt Hummel was a very intimidating man. Kurt had almost peed himself when he had answered the door. At first he was sure that he had the wrong address, after all there was no way that a delicate, shy little thing like Blaine would have a father that looked like he cooked his roadkill for dinner... after purposefully running over a bear.

“I wasn't aware I had a curfew,” Blaine glanced at Kurt, as if sensing his nervousness. Kurt smiled at him in an attempt to be reassuring, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded because Blaine just looked more concerned. 

“Well, you haven't really... needed one till now,” Blaine's dad glanced at Kurt, then cleared his throat awkwardly, “Where was it you said you were going again?”

Kurt noticed that Burt Hummel had a vein on the side of his neck that sort of... stuck out. As if he were angry. Oh God, he hated Kurt. He knew it had been his fault that Blaine was crying earlier and now he wanted to kill him and hang his head above the mantlepiece. Could he tell that he had impure thoughts about his son? Dads could tell those things, couldn't they?

Blaine elbowed him in the side, and Kurt quickly shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts. Of course Mr. Hummel couldn't tell that he'd thought about kissing Blaine on those pretty lips of his on more than one occasion... and other things involving those lips... and okay, he needed a drink of water.

“I'm- What? Sorry, I had... things. On my mind,” _he knows. He knows you just had inappropriate thoughts about Blaine right in front of him and he's going to send you packing-_

“I just asked where it was exactly that you were taking Blaine.”

Blaine was giving him a strange look, and he mouthed 'you okay?'. Kurt nodded and answered Mr. Hummel, “Well, there's this really nice park over in Westerville. Where I um... live. I live in Westerville. So I was going to take Blaine there. To... get some... fresh air,” yeah, Burt Hummel definitely hated him. His eyes had been slowly narrowing into a suspicious glare as Kurt spoke. Was he sweating? He was pretty sure he was sweating...

“I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name,” Mr. Hummel spoke slowly. Kurt swallowed thickly. 

“Kurt Anderson, sir.”

“You taking my kid to a party, Anderson? Because he's underage.”

Kurt shook his head as Blaine let out an annoyed, “Dad!” he then turned to Kurt and whispered, “Ignore him, he's just trying to annoy me. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Now, don't go putting words in my mouth kid,” Mr. Hummel pointed accusingly at Blaine before cracking a grin. Blaine rolled his eyes but smiled softly. Kurt felt a small pang of jealousy, but he ignored it, “So, Westerville eh?”

“Yes, sir,” Kurt answered quickly. Burt chuckled. 

“Alright, well just have him home by eleven, alright? And no drinking.” Kurt nodded immediately and then flinched as Mr. Hummel chuckled and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, “Relax kid. I'm just pulling your leg. Blaine never has boys come over, see? I never get to be protective of him.”

Kurt glanced towards Blaine to find him blushing to the tips of his ears, “And on that incredibly awkward note, we're going to go. I'll text you when we're on our way back, okay dad?”

Mr. Hummel hummed and waved them away dismissively, mumbling something about calling Carole. Kurt pursed his lips as he looked at Blaine, trying not to smile in case Blaine took offence. Blaine glared at him, “Hey, I wasn't the one sweating through my clothes a minute ago.”

Kurt gasped, “I knew I was sweating. Do you think he noticed?” 

Blaine smiled, “Probably why he gave you such a hard time,” he glanced towards the front door and then nodded towards it, “Shall we?”

Kurt grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the house, letting out a posh, “We shall,” as he went.

**

Blaine seemed to become looser as soon as they passed the road sign that read 'Welcome to Westerville'. His whole body relaxed and he started grinning like a maniac. At one point he had pointed out the window and said, “The sky looks bluer in this town.” Kurt was a bit worried that his friend was losing his mind. 

When they reached the park Blaine practically jumped out of the car and started to skip towards the walkway. Kurt watched him, leaning against his car, as he said hello to a chipmunk with a wide, open smile on his face. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and tried to hide the smile that was creeping up on him. He couldn't. He had never seen Blaine so open. 

Blaine turned around when he noticed Kurt wasn't beside him. His eyes fell on Kurt, which just made Kurt smile wider. His eyes, those beautiful caramel coloured eyes, were practically sparkling. Kurt wondered why it hadn't occurred to him to bring Blaine to a park before. 

“What?” Blaine asked bashfully, looking at his feet self-consciously. Kurt just smiled wider. 

“Well, if I'd have known you loved parks so much I would have brought you here much sooner.”

Blaine shrugged, tracing patterns into the gravel with his foot, “It's not so much the park as it is the location of the park.”

Kurt made his way towards Blaine, his head tilted to the side as he really observed the way Blaine looked out in the sun. The light hit him in a way that made him look almost ethereal, with his curls in a mess above his head, his eyes sparkling and the light blush on his cheeks (he was really beginning to enjoy how easy it was to make Blaine blush). Really, Kurt wondered what he had done to deserve this amazing, beautiful boy in his life. 

“So I should have brought you to Westerville sooner.” Blaine grinned as Kurt reached him, “Either way, it's great to see you like this. Especially considering... Well.”

Blaine's expression darkened briefly before he shook his head, curls flying in front of his eyes, “Let's not talk about that, okay? It's... I know it's not your fault. Your friend's a douche. Whatever.”

Kurt reached forward and slipped his hand into Blaine's, making sure not to lace their fingers together. He was never sure where Blaine's comfort levels began or ended. Thankfully, Blaine squeezed his hand tightly and shot him that shy smile of his that Kurt adored. 

“So, do you want to walk around? Or just sit on a bench and talk?”

Blaine perked up instantly, “Can we do both? Walk around first and then sit down once we've seen the whole park?”

Kurt threw his head back as he laughed, “Alright. Lead the way, oh chipper one.”

Blaine smacked him on the arm lightly but then started to pull Kurt down the walkway much faster than Kurt was comfortable with, especially if they were going to be keeping this pace up for the next half hour/hour. Kurt tugged on Blaine's arm about a minute of practically sprinting through the park and told him to slow down so that he could enjoy the scenery. Blaine instantly answered that he _was_ enjoying the scenery, but that he'd slow down for Kurt. 

However, soon after he slowed down, Kurt noticed that Blaine became fidgety. He started bouncing on the balls of his feet if they ever stopped for more than two seconds, and he kept letting Kurt's hand go only to grab it again within seconds. After a few minutes of this Kurt decided that he was tired of walking around and began looking for a bench. 

“But we didn't get to see the whole park,” complained Blaine, a pout on his face. Kurt rolled his eyes but smiled fondly at the action. 

“We'll come back another day. It's a big park, we'd be walking around for hours,” Blaine's eyes lit up and Kurt quickly said, “No,” which earned him another pout from Blaine. Kurt laughed at it and then forced Blaine to sit down beside him. 

They were silent for a few minutes, simply looking around them. Every time their eyes met they would smile and then look away. Finally, Blaine spoke, “Okay, I've seen everything. Can we at least just move to that bench over there?”

Kurt laughed, “No, Blaine. The point is to sit down and talk, not to enjoy the scenery. Besides, you'll get the exact same view from that bench.”

“But it'll be _different_ trees and-”

“Blaine.”

Blaine looked down at his feet and then shrugged, speaking quietly, “I don't like sitting still for long periods of time. Especially like... in public.”

Kurt's head shot up at the sudden honesty in Blaine's words. It had only happened a couple of times before, but every time Blaine said something like that, so painfully real and honest, it sort of broke Kurt's heart. Because every single one of those honest things were horribly heartbreaking. 

“Can I ask why?” Kurt spoke quietly. Because even though there was nobody around he still felt like this wasn't a subject that should be spoken of in loud voices. Blaine nodded.

“I just... I used to get bullied. A lot. It's why I'm home schooled. And why I don't really like... going out.”  
Kurt frowned, “But we always meet up at the Lima Bean. That's 'out'.”

Blaine looked down at his feet, “There's two places in Lima that I feel comfortable going to. The Lima Bean, and the movie theatre by my house that only shows old movies. I've never encountered any of my bullies in either of those locations.”

“That's... oh my God,” Kurt's voice was barely even a whisper, “What in the world could you have done to make someone bully you to the extent that you barely feel comfortable leaving your house?” 

Blaine shrugged, “My dad... He knew I was gay from the moment I turned three. He basically raised me letting me know that it was perfectly fine to be whatever I wanted. For a long time I insisted that it was great that he thought that, but that I was straight. I actually pretended to have a crush on Quinn for a long time,” he chuckled, “Which was funny because at the time I had a crush on Puck.”

Kurt felt an undeniable pang of jealousy at that. He had seen Puck, and if that was Blaine's type...

“Either way, I came out when I was like, fourteen. Right before I started high school. My dad, Quinn, and Puck were just so... accepting. I don't know. I had been home schooled my whole life, so they were really the only people I knew. I just figured that everyone else would be as accepting as they were.”

Kurt's jaw was practically on the ground, “You got... you were bullied for being _gay_?”

Blaine frowned at him, “You weren't?”

“No,” Kurt said instantly, “Like, my parents aren't really into the idea but... I never got bullied by people my own age.”

Blaine looked down at his feet, swinging them back and forth. Kurt felt like he shouldn't notice at that moment how cute it was that Blaine's feet didn't reach the ground, but he did, “You're lucky,” he whispered.

Kurt set his hand on top of Blaine's, aiming for reassuring, “You shouldn't feel like you can't go out in your own town because of bullies.”

“That's what Puck always says. He said that I just needed to stand up to them. Of course, when I did... well. I went back to home schooling a week later.”

Kurt squeezed his hand tightly, “If you want to talk about it-”

“Not right now. But... I don't know. Maybe another day.”

Kurt nodded. He leaned towards Blaine and leaned his head on his shoulder. Blaine instantly responded by resting his head on top of Kurt's, which made Kurt smile. They sat like that for a while until Kurt decided to break the silence. 

“Can I ask you something super personal?”

Blaine lifted his head so that he could turn to look at him, “I guess,” he said, “I mean, weren't we just talking about something super personal?”

Kurt pursed his lips, “This is a different kind of personal.”

“Alright. Shoot,” Blaine sent him a reassuring smile, “Although I can't promise that I'll answer it if I consider it too personal.”

Kurt nodded, “That's fine. I was just... I don't know. Never mind, it's rude.”

Blaine scoffed, “Kurt, you told me that you thought I was 'tappable'. I think the rude ship has sailed.”

“That's not rude,” Kurt glared at him, although he was smiling as he did it, “That's a compliment.”

“Not to me,” replied Blaine, smiling and bumping his shoulder with Kurt, “But anyway. Please. Ask.”

“Okay. Um, this actually is sort of related to the whole 'tappable' thing,” he paused and looked over Blaine's face. He really shouldn't have brought this up, “I just... well... you always get really like, sad, and offended when I mention sex and you being a virgin and stuff. So I was just. I don't know, I was wondering if you had a bad sexual experience in the past?” Blaine raised both eyebrows at him, and Kurt quickly added, “I mean, I've always just assumed you were a virgin because you have this sort of vibe, not a bad one,” he quickly specified, “But I've never asked and you've never confirmed it. Sorry if that's-”

“Kurt,” Blaine put his hands up, “What exactly are you trying to ask me?”

Kurt felt heat rising up the back his neck, “I'm just wondering if I'm right in my assumptions about your virginity.”

Blaine laughed softly, “That's it? That's not offensive at all.”

“Yeah, well... I've kind of told you straight out that I think it's hot that you've never been with anybody, but I didn't even know for sure so I just-”

“I am. A virgin. And I'm not embarrassed by that fact at all, so don't worry. I'm not offended or anything.”

Kurt nodded slowly, “And you weren't offended earlier today when I told you that I thought it was hot that you were without actually knowing if that was true?”

“I was surprised,” Blaine looked away, “But not offended.”

Kurt sighed and leaned his head on Blaine's shoulder again. Blaine once again rested his head on top of Kurt's. 

“Can I ask you something?” he spoke quietly, making Kurt slightly nervous. 

“Anything,” he was quick to reassure. He made sure he spoke quietly as well, hoping to not unnerve Blaine. It wasn't often that Blaine asked him personal questions (mostly because he didn't need to since Kurt sort of just... told him everything) and he didn't want to turn him off. 

“You've had like... sex. Right?”

Kurt nodded, shifting Blaine's position above him, “I have.”

“What's um... what's it like?” the question was so quiet that Kurt barely even heard it. As it was, he did. It was hard to keep himself from saying “I could show you if you want,” but seeing as he knew it would be a bad idea he refrained. He didn't want to find out how Blaine would react to that. 

“Why?” he replied.

Blaine seemed to think about it for a few seconds before he answered, “Puck's told me about straight sex and how awesome it is,” Kurt was pretty sure he could feel the heat of Blaine's cheek on his head, “But I'm not really interested in that. I've never met another gay person before so I've never had the opportunity to ask. And I don't know. Asking my dad seems kind of...”

Kurt laughed softly at that, “I get that.”

They were quiet for a few seconds, “So...”

Kurt smiled to himself, “Yes, Blaine?”

“Are you going to answer my question?”

Kurt pursed his lips and then removed his head from under Blaine's. He turned slightly so that he was facing Blaine, crossing his legs on the bench. Blaine did the same, “Are you sure you want me to?”

Blaine nodded without speaking. Now that they were facing each other Kurt could see how red Blaine's face was. A couple of curls had fallen over his forehead and were dangerously close to his eyes, and his lips were slightly parted. Honestly, he was the most beautiful boy Kurt had ever met. He still didn't understand how he didn't have some tall, handsome, strong, loving boyfriend. If anybody deserved that, Blaine did.

“Alright. Well it's... I don't really know how to explain it. It's as close as you can get to another person, you know? It can be really exposing, but at the same time it feels really great. Physically. Like... have you ever had an orgasm?” Blaine looked down at his lap and nodded shakily, as if he were embarrassed to admit it. Kurt forced himself to ignore the onslaught of images of Blaine on his bed, hand wrapped around himself, possibly fingering himself, moaning and sweaty, “Well, imagine that but times ten. Does that make sense?”

“Sort of,” Blaine mumbled, “So... it feels good?”

Kurt chuckled, “Of course. If it didn't why would people do it all the time?”

Blaine shrugged, “Because we're expected to? Because we've been deceived by things like pornography and the general media? Because we've been made to believe that if you've never had sex you're absolutely worthless and a total stick in the mud?”

Kurt shook his head, “Blaine, you are not boring or worthless. You know I'm celibacy club now, right?” Blaine nodded, “Well, the other day we went bowling, all of us. It was the most fun I've had in a long time and it didn't involve sex, or drinking, or anything of the sort. And yeah, I'm not a virgin, but I'd say about 90% of the members of that club are, and they're totally awesome.”

Blaine pursed his lips, “So you, um, like it? Having sex?”

Kurt snorted, “Well, it's not a chore.”

Blaine clasped his hands together, “I just... I guess I can't understand why you would want to have sex with people you don't love. Like, I was watching some of... those... movies. And they didn't look like they were enjoying themselves at all. But like, when my dad told me about how babies are made he said that it's always better when the man and woman, or man and man in my case, are in love. Does that make any sense at all?”

“It does,” Kurt smiled, “And don't worry, I don't think you're judging me,” Blaine let out a small, relieved, sigh, “However, I can't help you in that regard. I've never been in love, so I don't really know what it feels like to sleep with someone who you love and who loves you back. I can, however, imagine that it's much more fulfilling than the random one night stands I'm used to.”

Blaine looked up into his eyes and then quickly looked away as he quietly mumbled, “That makes me sad.”

Kurt tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brow, “What do you mean?”

“Just... the thought of you being with someone who can't even remember your name... it makes me sad. You're so much better than that.”

Kurt felt his heart warm instantly. Tears began to pool in his eyes and he shuffled closer to Blaine, placing his hands on his friends thighs, “I don't know what I've done to make you think that, but thank you. So much. Nobody has ever told me that.”

Blaine's eyes widened, “Really? But... you have so many friends!”

Kurt shrugged, aiming for nonchalant, “Yeah, but they're not like you. I don't talk to them about the things we talk about. I goof off with them. I do shallow, stupid stuff with them. I get drunk with them, I sleep with some of them, but I don't just... I've never just been with someone.”

Blaine smiled softly and placed his hands on top of Kurt's, “Well they're missing out. Because while I'm sure party animal you is great, I think this you is the best.”

Kurt grinned at Blaine and then stood up, “Come on Hummel, things are getting too serious. Let's walk around for a bit, we'll say hi to every chipmunk we find.”

Blaine instantly jumped up at that and extended his hand for Kurt to take. This time when Kurt's hand slipped into Blaine, he tangled their fingers together. 

**

“You haven't!” Kurt glanced at Blaine in the passenger seat, not able to keep the giant grin off his face when he saw how openly Blaine was laughing. 

“I have! Not, like, on purpose but...”

Kurt laughed at that, “So what, someone passed you a joint and told you that it would make your eye sight better if you smoked it?”

Blaine shook his head, his eyes alight with laughter, “I made brownies and Puck decided to slip a lot of marijuana in. He thought it was hilarious, but my dad didn't.”

Kurt smirked, “God, that's something I'd pay to see. Blaine Hummel high. Alright, that's it, you're officially invited to the next Warbler party.”

Blaine glanced at Kurt out of the corner of his eye, his laughter suddenly dying down and being taken over by a shy, hopeful tone, “Really? You... you'd want me there?”

“Of course. Why wouldn't I?”

Blaine shrugged and looked down at himself, smiling self-consciously, “Because I'm... me? I don't know, I have horrible social skills, and I'm really weird. Like, I've never even had a drink before, I'd probably just embarrass you and then all your friends would be like 'hey, who's the loser who passed out before the first round of-”

Kurt cut him off by gently putting a hand on his arm, “Blaine. None of that would happen. You're being paranoid. I would love to have you as my date to the next Warbler shin-dig.”

Blaine gave him a hopeful look, “Date?” he asked quietly. Kurt bit his lip, and closed his eyes. 

_Alright Anderson. This is one of those moments. Whatever you say next could change your entire relationship with Blaine. You could say yes, it's a date, only to have him awkwardly stumble over an apology an claiming he just sees you as a friend, even though that's all you see him as. Or you could say 'as friends' and risk breaking his heart in case he likes you as more than a friend._

_Oh, Goddammit,_ “Yeah, a date. It'll be fun, don't you think? Get you out of the house more.”

Blaine grinned openly, indicating a very relieved Kurt that he'd made the right decision. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the possible ramifications of that, but either way. It was out, that was that. 

“Alright. I would love to.”

Kurt smiled at him, squeezed his arm lightly before removing his hand, realizing that he'd definitely been holding it there for too long. He glanced out the window, noticing a small gas station by the side of the road, “Do you mind if I get some gas? I mean, we're still technically in Westerville so...”

Blaine nodded instantly, “Yeah, of course. But... I'll stay in the car. Is that alright?”

Kurt nodded and pulled into the gas station. He glanced around and then scowled, “Where the hell is the attendant?”

Blaine snickered and then shrugged, “Um, I've been to this station before and well... they don't have one.”

Loud, obnoxious rap music filled the air as another car pulled up to the pump beside theirs. Kurt rolled his eyes, “Great, so not only do I have to pump the gas myself but I have to do it with these morons beside me. Huzzah,” he got out of the car, ignoring Blaine's adorable giggles. The music was only louder when he left the comfort of his car.

He loosely held the nozzle as he pumped the gas into the car, wishing that the stupid car next to them would just leave. It wasn't like they even had a big car, they couldn't seriously need all that gas. He glanced up to find a large African-American boy around his age nodding his head to the music and tapping his fingers against the the trunk of his car. In the car there was somebody else, but Kurt couldn't see what they looked like. 

He went to look at Blaine and roll his eyes in humour, but when he saw him his eyes instantly widened and his blood turned cold. 

Blaine was slumped so low in his seat that he could barely see him, and he was pretty sure that he was shaking. His eyes were shut tight and he was mouthing something that Kurt couldn't hear. He glanced at the boy across from him again, wondering who he was for Blaine to have such an intense reaction to him. 

The guy looked up just at that moment and snorted when his eyes fell on Kurt. Kurt stood up straighter, rolled his eyes and looked away. He really should have filled up on the way...

“Oh my God!” Kurt heard the sound of a hand hitting a car window, “Karofsky, get on out here. Hummel's here.”

Kurt's blood ran cold and he looked towards where Blaine was in the car. The boy looked like he was going to start crying. 

“No kidding!” the second guy, Karofsky apparently, climbed out of the passenger seat and slammed the door hard, “What's a little daddy's girl like him doing so far from home?”

The first guy grinned as his friend came into view, “Out with the boyfriend, apparently. Look at that nancy-boy he's bagged himself. Thought he liked cock.”

The second guy looked up and the second Kurt's eyes locked on his he knew that these two wouldn't be giving them too much trouble. He noticed Karofsky swallowing from where he was, and he quickly put the nuzzle back into the pump. He smirked as he circled to the other side of the car. 

“I'm sorry, are you two referring to my passenger?” he asked as calmly as possible. The first guy gave him a cocky look while the second looked petrified. 

“Come on Zee, let's get out of here.”

“No _way_ Karofsky. This lady's asking for it.”

Kurt smirked, “Oh _hey_ Karofsky. Haven't seen you in a while. You know, Sebastian's been asking about you recently. Apparently you never called.”

Karofsky glanced at his friend and then said, “Seriously Zee, this guys nuts. His dad's my dad's boss.”

And wow, wasn't that a happy coincidence. He'd thought he'd just have the Sebastian thing to hold over his head, but now, “Don't be a wuss Karofsky. We can take this guy.”

“I said I don't want to.”

Kurt just glared at them both as he continued stalking towards them until there were only a few feet between them, “Look, I don't know what you did to Blaine, but it stops now, alright?”

The guys glanced at each other, the first one amused, Karofsky looking like he was about to crap in his pants, “Or what? What are you going to do?”

“Zee, come on,” Karofsky was now pulling on his friend's jacket.

Kurt smirked, “Why don't you ask your buddy? He seems to be getting the right idea.”

The big guy laughed, “Look, this is our town amigo. You got no business here. So why don't you and little fairy boy go drive off a cliff or something?”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “Actually, _amigo,_ technically we are in Westerville County, not Lima. So, really, you're in my town. And I say beat it.”

“You're really going to-”

“I said _fuck off_ , bro!” he turned to Karofsky and glared at him, “You know, it really has been a while Karofsky. Have you lost weight? You look good.”

Karofsky sent him what he guessed was supposed to be a threatening glare, “Get away from me.”

“You should come by sometime. I'm sure Sebastian would just _love_ to see you.”

“We're leaving, alright?”

Kurt took another step closer to them, “Don't fucking go near Blaine again. Don't fucking touch him. Don't fucking look at him. Don't even fucking think about him. Am I making myself clear?”

“Look, dude, I'm pretty sure I can take you-”

Karofsky grabbed his friend by the arm and dragged him into the car, “Seriously Zee, he looks small but you do _not_ wanna mess with this guy,” after pushing 'Zee' into the car he turned towards Kurt and muttered, “I swear to God, if you tell a soul...”

Kurt fluttered his eyelashes, “You'll what? Beat me up? Oh, but then I'd go crying to daddy, and suddenly Paul Karofsky doesn't have a job.” he smiled at him in the coldest way possible, “Stay away from Blaine. I mean it.”

He stalked back to his car, ignoring the annoyed grumbling of Karofsky and the way that 'Zee' had just turned the music up much louder. He looked into the passenger window and saw Blaine peering through it, his eyes wide and sparkling with adoration and his mouth making that perfect 'o' that always gave Kurt dirty thoughts. Kurt quickly paid for his gas and then climbed back into the car, pulling out of the station as quickly as possible. 

“I...What... You made them leave,” Blaine seemed completely in awe. It really was giving Kurt quite the ego boost. 

“Yeah. Let's just say that Sebastian had a little run in with one David Karofsky a couple of months ago at Scandals. A David Karofsky who then called him and texted him constantly for the next few weeks before finally giving up,” he smirked at Blaine's wide eyes expression, “Also, my dad is his dad's boss.”

“Karofsky's... gay?” Blaine practically whispered the word, as if it were a bad word. The thought made Kurt snort.

“As the fourth of July,” he grinned at Blaine, “They shouldn't bother you anymore.”

They drove in silence for a while, Kurt extremely aware of Blaine's eyes on him. He remembered once when Chandler had done the same thing. They had just met, and Kurt had told a couple of giggling, homophobic girls to fuck off. Chandler had stared at him with adoration practically flying out of his eyes for the next hour. 

The difference was that when Chandler did it, Kurt wanted to punch him in the mouth. But now with Blaine... It just made him want to kiss him. 

Before he knew it they had pulled up to Blaine's house. Kurt glanced down at his watch and found that it was only 9:30pm, much earlier than Mr. Hummel had demanded Blaine be returned. He hoped that earned him a few brownie points in the man's book. 

He turned off the ignition and turned to look at Blaine, who was now staring at his lap with his eyes closed as if in deep thought. He bit his lip and shook his head, “Blaine?” he looked up instantly, his eyes wide and anxious, as if he were afraid that Kurt had heard what he had just been thinking, “Are you okay?”

“Thank you,” Blaine breathed, “So much. You have just... no idea. How much you standing up for me like that means to me. I mean, Quinn and Puck tried, very hard, but they could never make them... stop. For a couple of hours maybe, but they never made them leave before they could even do anything and just... thank you.”

Kurt smiled softly and grabbed Blaine's hand, “Those guys are assholes, Blaine. Seriously. Don't even dedicate a single thought to them anymore.”

Blaine bit his lip again, glanced down at Kurt's hand on top of his and then took a deep breath, “Please go out with me.”

It was like time stopped. Kurt felt his heart literally skip a beat in his chest as he stared at Blaine, beautiful Blaine, with his wide eyes and his mile long eyelashes. His soft, pink lips, his amazing jaw. His curly hair that always looked so soft, like silk. His neck and how his Adam's apple was bobbing nervously. God, Kurt really just wanted to suck on that neck...

“Oh my God, I can't believe I just... Oh my God,” Blaine unbuckled his seat belt, “I've never- I'm so sorry, please ignore that. Seriously, Oh my God. I'm sorry, Kurt. I know you don't... like that kinda stuff. Just forget I said that,” he was opening the door to get out when Kurt reached forward and grabbed his wrist.

He licked his lips, his throat feeling dry, “Does um...” he cleared his throat, “Does next Friday at six work for you?”

Blaine's eyes widened. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then closed it again. Then he nodded quickly, “Y-yeah,” he whispered hoarsly, “That's- That works.”

Kurt nodded as well, his heart already beating fast and his mind screaming _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE_ , “Alright. I guess I'll... I'll pick you up.”

“Great.”

“Perfect.”

Blaine looked over his face, then leaned forwards and pecked him lightly on the cheek. When he pulled away, Kurt's cheek was burning, “I'll see you later.”

He was out of the car before Kurt could get out a soft, “Later,” his hand absentmindedly rubbing his cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

Blaine wasn't sure how pacing was supposed to calm people down. He'd been walking in circles around his room for the past ten minutes, his phone in his hands, an unsent message open on the screen. It was taunting him, that unsent message. 

It didn't seem like enough. He knew that if either Puck or Quinn cut him out of their life completely for almost a month a simple apology text message wouldn't suffice. He groaned and threw his phone onto the bed. He hated that he didn't know what to do. He almost wished he had gotten into serious fights with Puck and Quinn before so that he at least knew how to deal with it. 

He let out an annoyed yell and fell face first onto his bed, his mind screaming at him that he deserved this. This was his punishment for being a stupid, selfish, immature child. It seemed only fair that making up with his friends would cause him as much stress as fighting with them had. _It wasn't even a fight_ his brain helpfully supplied, _you got mad at them and left. This is all you buddy. You just suck._

He grabbed the closest pillow, buried his face in it, and screamed.

He lay on his bed for several minutes, his head pulsing painfully. He wished he could just turn off his brain for a few seconds, then turn it back on and hope it worked better than before. Maybe then it could be of some use to him instead of just spewing cruel words at him. He knew technically the cruel words were coming from himself, he was the one throwing them at himself, but it didn't stop the hurt. 

An irrational part of himself wanted to blame his parents for sheltering him. He knew really it wasn't their fault, but he couldn't stop the thoughts from entering his mind. His mother had been weary of letting Blaine out of her sight after his short stint in kindergarten, which had ended with his hair covered in paint and his parents being told that he had been asking for it. His parents had been furious after the situation had been explained to him and within days Blaine had been pulled out and he began home schooling. After she died, his dad just became even more protective.

 _Maybe they were smart to do that_ he sighed loudly and flipped around to lie on his stomach _just look at what happened at McKinley. If they hadn't home schooled you your whole life would have been like that._

He ran his hands through his hair, completely frustrated. This sucked. Everything sucked. _He_ sucked. 

His tirade on himself was interrupted by the ring tone he had chosen specifically for Kurt. Normally the act of hearing that ring tone alone could brighten up his day, but as it was he had placed himself in this mental block. He didn't think even Kurt could help him with his problem. 

Despite knowing that he was going to be a terrible conversation partner, he picked up the phone and clicked answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Blaine, I was just wondering if- Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“You don't... sound that great.”

Blaine groaned and fisted his hair, “I'm just- Stupid, I'm stupid. And selfish. And immature. And, oh my God, we're going on a date next week. Why? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Kurt was silent for a few seconds, during which Blaine realized that he was being irrational. He didn't take anything back. He could barely remember what he had just said, how could he take it back? He let himself go lax on the bed. He was going crazy, he was sure of it, “Blaine, did something happen? Did those two assholes from the other day say something to you or-”

“No!” Blaine practically screamed, happy that his dad wasn't home, “No, I'm just sitting here trying to figure out how to apologize to my two best friends for having abandoned them in like... the worst possible time. She's pregnant, Kurt! She's going to have a baby and I just walked right out of her life! What kind of person does that?”

“Blai-”

“Me, that's who. And I'm still being really selfish about it because I'm only trying to make things better because all this awesome stuff has been happening in my life and I need someone to talk to about it, and I can't talk to you because you _are_ the awesome stuff and, just-”

“Blaine, okay, you need to take a deep breath,” Blaine did so. It did nothing, “Okay, now take two more,” that helped a bit more, “Now, calmly, tell me why you're freaking out.”

Blaine took another deep breath, just for good measure, “I want- I just-” he paused as a thought crashed over him, and then there were tears in his eyes, tears running down his cheeks. He was practically sobbing, “I just miss them so much,” he whispered into the phone, his voice dry from crying. He buried his face in his pillow, letting the tears flow. 

“Do you need me to come over?” asked Kurt softly. Blaine sniffled and wiped away some of his tears.

“No,” he mumbled into the pillow, “'m okay.”

“You're not. Blaine, you're _crying_.”

Blaine took a deep breath and then sat up slightly, “You know what's really silly?”

Kurt took a few seconds to respond before he let out a quiet, cautious, “Yes?”

“A few days ago, after I, you know, I asked you out,” he blushed slightly at the words, “Well I got home and I was just so excited. I told my dad and he was excited too but like... I don't know. I still felt like there was something missing.”

“Puck and Quinn.”

“Exactly,” he ran a hand through his hair, “But then I realized how stupid and selfish that is. Oh, Quinn, you're pregnant? I'm going to ignore you for a month. By the way, I'm going out with the man of my dreams. Please, be happy for me?”

“Blaine...”

“It's not fair! I'm so... God, I _suck_.”

“That's not necessarily a _bad_ thing.”

Blaine let out a humourless laugh, “Not now Kurt.”

“Sorry.”

“I just wish that I hadn't acted so stupid because of all of this. I just feel like I got so wrapped up in my friendship with you and my crush on you that I completely forgot that I was hurting Puck and Quinn. And that was so unfair of me.”

There was silence for a few seconds before Kurt said, “Do it in person.”

“Excuse me?”

Kurt chuckled, “Your apology. Do it in person. And apologize to Puck first, he seemed like he would forgive you at the drop of a hat. I've never met Quinn, but if she's pregnant then she might be a bit... emotional. She'll probably forgive you easier with her boyfriend on your side.”

Blaine's eyes teared up again, “You're amazing. Did you know that?”

“Of course,” Kurt replied, and Blaine could practically see his smirk, “Now, I don't mean to insensitively change the subject but I did call for a reason.”

Blaine chuckled, “Yeah, sorry that I sort of... dumped all that on you.”

“Don't ever feel sorry for that Blaine. It's what I'm here for,” he paused for a second, giving Blaine an opportunity to say something. Blaine had nothing to say though, so Kurt continued, “Alright, so, I'm making our dinner reservations for Friday, but I need to confirm that you're okay with Italian because I don't want to take you somewhere you don't like.”

Blaine bit his lip and giggled quietly, “Kurt, I already made reservations.”

“You did?”

“I asked you out. I figured I would be the one planning the um... the date.”

Kurt let out an exhale that sent shivers down Blaine's spine, “I guess that makes sense. Sorry I just... I've never gone on a date before.”

Blaine's eyes widened and he pressed his phone closer to his ear, “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Not even with um... with Chandler?”

Kurt snorted, “Hell no.”

Blaine beamed, “That's fantastic!”

“What?”

He blushed, “I mean,” he cleared his throat, “Just... for once we're sort of on equal footing.”

Kurt chuckled, “I guess we are.”

“Are you still coming to get me on Friday?”

“I thought you were the one in charge of the date Mr. I-Already-Made-Reservations.”

“But I don't-”

Kurt let out a loud laugh, “Blaine, I'm kidding. I love that you made reservations. I'll pick you up, I know you don't have a car.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“It's no problem.”

Blaine smiled to himself, “Not just for the whole... date thing. Thanks for calming me down when I was freaking out. And just for... I don't know, being there.”

“Blaine,” Kurt's voice was deadly serious, “I need you to believe me one hundred percent when I say that being here for you whenever is absolutely my pleasure.”

  
**

Blaine had never felt awkward going over to his friends' house before, but then again he'd never been in such a huge fight with either of them before. He felt like he was standing in front of Puck's house for the first time ever, his hand trembling slightly as he reached towards the doorbell. 

After all of Kurt's reassuring words, he should be feeling better about everything. It should be easier apologizing to his friends with the knowledge that Kurt believed in him, but the reality was that it was even more nervewracking. What if he screwed it up? Not only would he had disappointed himself, but he'd also have disappointed Kurt. He couldn't stand the thought of that.

Of course, the tiny logical side of his brain kept assuring him that he wouldn't disappoint Kurt because Kurt wasn't someone who was easily disappointed. The worry continued to nag him either way.

The door opened to reveal Puck's younger sister with a large smile on her face. The smile only brightened when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. He grinned right back at her and she threw herself in his arms, letting out an excited squeal.

“Blainey!” he put his hands under her arms and lifted her up, spinning her around in a way that always mad her giggle. When he put her down he hugged her tightly.

“Hey, tiny. What's up?”

The little girl glanced to the sides as if to make sure nobody could hear her and then whispered, “Did you hear about Noah's girlfriend?”

Blaine forced his eyes wide, “No! What happened?”

“She's having a baby. I'm going to be an auntie!” he laughed at her excitement. Blaine ruffled her hair slightly, causing her to giggle.

“Well, congratulations. Say, would you mind telling your brother I'm here? I have to talk to him about... about you being an auntie. Congratulate him too.”

She nodded quickly and then disappeared behind the door. Blaine leaned against the door frame, his arms crossing over his chest as he anxiously waited for Puck to come to the door. He briefly considered calling Kurt to help calm him down, but before he could he heard loud footsteps coming towards the door. He had always hated that Puck didn't take his boots off, even if he was in his own house.

Puck appeared at the door, looking slightly out of breath and looking over him as if to make sure he was real, “Blaine,” was all he said. Blaine bit his lip and stood up straight, moving so that he was standing in front of his friend. 

“I have something to say to you, and I would appreciate it if you don't interrupt me until I'm done because I already feel like I'm going to pass out and if you interrupt me then I'll never get it out.” Puck simply nodded, his knuckles turning white where they were gripping the door and the door frame, “I've been like... the worst friend in the history of the world for the past month. I ignored you and Quinn when you needed me most, especially Quinn, and I would totally understand if you never wanted to speak to me again.

“That being said, I really hope you accept the apology that I'm going to give you, because I really would like to go back to being friends with you and Quinn. I'd like to support you guys with all this, help you through doctors appointments and Quinn's emotional freak outs and such. I want to just... I want to be involved in that baby's life, and one day I want that baby to call me Uncle Blaine because I always want to be involved in your and Quinn's lives too. So, I'm sorry for being selfish and stupid and not returning your calls. I'm sorry for abandoning you in your time of need because I was having a crisis. I should have put that aside and realized that you guys needed me more than I needed myself.”

He took a deep breath, unsure if he should keep talking. Puck was giving him this strange look that he wasn't entirely able to decipher. Maybe he had screwed up even more? Oh God, Puck and Quinn had probably already decided that they wanted nothing to do with him and had drawn up plans of ways to keep him as far away from their child as they could...

“Puck, can you um... say something? Because I'm sort of freaking out here.”

That seemed to shake Puck out of his reverie. He looked into Blaine's eyes for a few seconds, his expression still neutral, before his face split into a giant grin and he launched himself towards Blaine in the same way that his sister had minutes earlier. As soon as he had his arms around Blaine's neck Blaine wrapped his own around his friend's waist. It had been a long time since he and Puck had shared a hug, and Blaine had always loved how safe he felt when they hugged. 

The feeling seemed to be multiplied tenfold. Puck had buried his face in Blaine's neck and he was just breathing in deeply. Blaine wondered if he was trying to stop himself from crying. God knew Blaine was.

“If you thought for one second that I wouldn't forgive you, then you're absolutely crazy,” Puck mumbled against his skin. Blaine tightened his grip around him, a tear escaping his eyes.

“I wouldn't have blamed you,” he answered, “I've been awful.”

Puck shook his head, “No. You were hurt.”

“But that doesn't-”

“Shut up, Blaine,” Puck laughed as he pulled Blaine closer to him. 

**

Standing in front of Quinn's house was even more terrifying than standing in front of Puck's; and when he'd been waiting for Puck to answer the door, he'd been alone. But even with Puck standing behind him, his hands placed comfortingly on Blaine's shoulders, he still felt like he was going to throw up. 

“It's going to be fine,” Puck assured, his hands massaging Blaine's shoulders lightly, “And if it isn't, well... at least you get the satisfaction of knowing that I'm going down with you.”

Blaine turned to Puck, eyes wide and heart racing, “Was that supposed to be comforting?” Puck laughed quietly, extending his hand to ring the doorbell, “Because it isn't, in case you're wondering. It's not comforting at all.”

“Would you calm down mini-man?”

Blaine shook his head, “No, I won't. Puck, what if-”

Mrs. Fabray answered the door, looking as perfectly immaculate as ever. Blaine had always felt that the Fabray's were completely out of place in their neighbourhood. They seemed more like a family that would live in a mansion on the edge of town, or in a penthouse apartment in New York. The woman glanced over both boys, her eyes lingering suspiciously on Puck for a moment before smiling at Blaine.

“Hello there, boys,” her voice seemed genuine enough, but Blaine felt a weird vibe in the air. Something was definitely wrong.

“Hi Mrs. Fabray,” Puck was the one who spoke. Blaine wanted to say hello or something equally polite but he just... couldn't. He was still sort of petrified with fear. Maybe he should just wait until Quinn had had the baby... Then she would be all happy and relaxed, hopefully hopped up on pain killers. Yes, that would be much easier.

“Are you here to see Quinn?” Mrs. Fabray asked, her smile dimming slightly. Blaine nodded instantly and Puck elbowed him.

“Yes, Mrs. Fabray,” he spoke quietly, his voice shaking slightly. The older woman smiled softly at him, as if he were the cutest thing ever.

“Alright well, go right on in. She's just trying on her dress for the Father/Daughter chastity ball.”

Blaine felt Puck's hands freeze on his shoulders, which wasn't very encouraging. He knew that he was terrified of going in to see Quinn, but Puck was supposed to be supporting him in this. He needed Puck to stay strong and not freak out. Because if Puck freaked out, well... 

They both awkwardly shuffled into the house, walking slowly side by side as if trying to make the walk to Quinn's room that much longer. Mrs. Fabray gave them both odd looks but then shook her head and called out, “Quinnie! Your friends are here!”

Quinn's voice floated down the stairs, making a soft smile appear on Puck's face, “Send them up. I just changed out of the dress.”

Mrs. Fabray nodded towards the stairs. Puck and Blaine each thanked her quietly and then slowly made their way upstairs, each constantly falling slightly behind the other to make sure that they weren't the one in front. Blaine wasn't entirely sure why Puck was suddenly freaking out but it wasn't doing a lot for his nerves. 

When they finally reached Quinn's room they both glanced at each other hesitantly. Puck raised his hand to knock on the door but Blaine held him back.

“What's wrong with you?” he hissed. Puck freed his wrist from Blaine's grasp and rubbed it absentmindedly.

“I just... she's getting ready to go to the chastity ball. With her dad.”

Blaine frowned, “So?”

Puck glanced around the hall and then leaned in towards Blaine, lowering his voice, “So she's _pregnant_.”

Blaine furrowed his brow, “ _So?”_

Puck rolled his eyes, “ _So,_ people who are chaste and going to chastity balls with their parents shouldn't technically be pregnant!”

Blaine's eyes widened at that, “So wait, her parents-”

“Don't know, they don't-!” he was cut off by the door in front of them being flung open. Quinn was on the other side, her hair piled on top of her head in a loose bun, wearing a baggy sweatshirt that Blaine was pretty sure was Puck's. 

“Puck, what are you doing out here mumbling about...” she trailed off when her eyes fell on Blaine. Both boys stood up straighter, and Blaine tried to give her his most charming smile. Sadly, the glare she aimed at him made the smile fade and he shrunk slightly into Puck's side. 

“Hey, Quinn,” he said quietly. Puck glared down at him, rolled his eyes, and shoved him forward slightly. Blaine thankfully managed to catch himself before he fell right onto Quinn.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice ice cold. Blaine wanted to shrink into the ground. 

_Courage_ he thought, “I'm here to... well, to apologize.”

Quinn just stared at him for what felt like forever. She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing at Puck and then rolling her eyes at whatever facial expression he had given her. She cleared her throat and threw her head back, “And what exactly are you apologizing for? Because I refuse a bullshit 'I'm sorry I suck' after three weeks and a half.”

Blaine fiddled with the hem of his shirt, “I'm sorry for dragging out the silence for much longer than I needed to. I just... I'm stupid. And selfish. And I should have been here for you and Puck through, well, you know,” he gestured to Quinn's stomach lamely, “But I swear I'm all yours now. I'll do anything to gain your friendship back. I just miss you so much Quinn, I'm so stupid for putting this off for so long. I've wanted to apologize for a long time but I just couldn't and-”

“Okay,” Quinn put a hand up. She then took a step back, “Come in, we'll talk in my room.”

The two boys hurried into Quinn's room, Puck letting out a sigh of relief when the door shut behind them, “Quinn, oh my God, your mom was talking about that chastity dance and it almost gave me a heart attack. You can't go to that thing, babe, you can't-”

Quinn put a hand up to Puck's mouth and snapped her fingers towards Blaine, “You, the best friend trying to make amends. What do you think about what Puck just called me?”

Blaine felt like he was being asked a trick question, “Quinn? Well, that's your name and-”

“No, not Quinn,” she rolled her eyes, “Babe, he called me babe. What do you think about that?”

“Um... That it's good that you two are still together despite the fact that you're having a baby and Puck is the most immature person on the planet?”

Puck elbowed him, “You're not doing much to gain that forgiveness I gave you.”

Blaine sent him a nervous smile. Puck was smiling too. Quinn had narrowed her eyes, “So you're not going to start freaking out when Puck and I start acting like a couple? Because,” she took a step towards Puck and grabbed his hand, “We're a couple. And we're not going to hide that because you're too sensitive to handle it.”

Okay, so he deserved that, “Quinn... I don't know how to let you know how incredibly sorry I am. For everything. I think it's fantastic that you and Puck are a couple.”

Quinn pursed her lips. She glanced around the room, as if worried that someone was listening in, “And the baby? What do you think about the baby?”

“Well, like I told Puck earlier, I would be so honoured to have that baby call me Uncle Blaine one day. Please Quinn,” he took her hand, the one that wasn't being gripped tightly by Puck's, “Just give me a chance. I'm so incredibly sorry, and I'd understand if you never want to talk to me again but...” 

Quinn glanced down at Blaine's hand and then smiled softly, squeezing it, “You know, we aren't even sure if we're going to keep it. The baby, that is.”

Blaine took a deep breath, “And if you chose to give the baby up for adoption or, you know... Well, you still have my support.”

“I'm not aborting it. I can't... I never even considered it.”

Blaine nodded, biting his lip and looking up at Quinn from under his lashes, “So... do you forgive me?”

Quinn grinned and shrugged, wrapping an arm around Puck's waist, “While I love Puck to death, things haven't been the same without you here.”

Puck smiled down at her adoringly, “So... that's a yes?” Blaine sort of stupid for having to confirm. Quinn laughed out loud.

“Yes, Blaine, that's a yes.”

Blaine couldn't stop himself from launching himself into her arms. He had always loved hugging Quinn, loved how small and fragile she seemed in his arms. But this hug felt like much more. It felt like forgiveness; forgiveness that Blaine didn't deserve. He didn't think he would forget this hug ever.

**

The three friends seemed to mutually agree that a sleepover was in order to celebrate their reunion. Quinn's parents had brought up two air mattresses for the boys, but as soon as they left the room Puck had jumped onto Quinn's bed with her, cuddling her under his arm. Blaine had smiled softly at them from his air mattress. Sure, it would take some getting used to, but he really did think that they made a beautiful couple. 

They had spent most of their time talking about Puck and Quinn, how their relationship had begun (they had kissed the night that Puck had put marijuana into Blaine's brownies), how it had progressed to sex and their reasons for keeping it from Blaine. As they spoke, Blaine wondered how he hadn't seen it before. He had always been so worried that Puck and Quinn would each find someone and move far away from him that he had never even considered them getting together and including him as a part of their family. 

It was a little after midnight when the conversation turned to Blaine and what he had been doing during their three weeks apart. Puck had smirked and asked the question that Blaine had been both dreading and hoping for, “So who was that hot piece of ass I saw at the Lima Bean?”

Blaine had flushed right to his ears, “Kurt. He's...” he took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, “God, he's amazing.”

Puck and Quinn had smirked at each other and then suddenly they were lying on their stomachs at the edge of Blaine's bed, their heads in their fists, giving Blaine shit eating grins. He felt his stomach come alive with butterflies. He couldn't deny how excited he was to tell his friends about Kurt. 

“We're going on a date on Friday.”

Quinn had squealed, kicking her feet behind her. Puck had raised his eyebrows and then offered his fist up for a bump, “Sweet dude. How'd he ask you out?”

Blaine blushed again, “Would you believe me if I told you I asked him?”

Quinn squealed again, “Oh, Blaine, that's so amazing! Puck told me about him and he sounds really good looking.” Blaine pulled out his phone, opened a picture of he and Kurt that he had taken a week ago in Kurt's car, and passed it to Quinn, “Oh my God, he's gorgeous!” she ignored Puck's pout, “Damn, Blaine. Congratulations.”

Blaine pursed his lips, “There's... some stuff though. That I'm not sure about.”

Quinn quirked an eyebrow and Puck leaned forward, “What stuff? What could possibly be wrong with this situation?”

Blaine shrugged, looking down at his lap, “I've never done anything like this. And he told me it was his first date too, which I guess is sort of nice but...”

“But?” Quinn leaned forward as well. 

“But he's not a virgin.” Blaine didn't want to see the looks on his friends faces, “He was actually really promiscuous for a while. And that... I don't know. I've sort of been ignoring it, but if we're going to date it's not something I can really ignore anymore.”

Quinn crawled out of her bed to sit beside Blaine. Puck stayed on the bed but gave him a sympathetic look, “Does it bother you?”

Blaine sighed, “Not as much as I feel it should, but still a little.”

Quinn wrapped an arm around Blaine and leaned her head on his shoulder, “You know you don't have to sleep with him, right? He's not... he's never tried to pressure you, has he?”

Blaine chuckled, shaking his head, “He told me I was 'tappable' once, but he's never actually tried to, you know, get in my pants. We haven't even kissed yet. Well...” Puck's eyes widened, “I kissed him on the cheek after I asked him out but... that doesn't really count, does it?”

Quinn patted his arm, “I think this comes down to you Blaine. I know that for me it was hard to admit that I liked Puck because, well, I guess the same reason as you. But I eventually realized that I loved him so much that I could look past that.”

Puck smiled at Quinn, hearts practically dancing around his head. Blaine almost felt like he was intruding on a personal moment, like he shouldn't be watching. Feeling uncomfortable, he spoke up, “I feel like I could look past it. But it's still... I just feel so young and silly when I'm with him.”

“You need to not think of it that way, mini-man. Because you know what?” Blaine shook his head, “He probably doesn't think that at all. When I met him... God, he looked so desperate to find you. Besides, I doubt that he would agree to a date with you if he thought you were too young and silly.”

Blaine smiled up at Puck, “You know what he said to me the first time we hung out?” His friends shook their heads, “That he didn't do boyfriends. Because he doesn't like the idea of love.” He grinned, feeling heat in his cheeks, “But now he's going out with me.”

Quinn squealed again, and Blaine laughed as she hugged him tightly. 

Yes, he should have done this much sooner.

**

Blaine should have gone shopping for a new outfit. He knew he should have, but he'd constantly told himself that he owned enough clothes, and now he was screwed. Absolutely, one hundred percent screwed. Because he didn't own anything... date-y. Nothing. Everything was sweater-vests and bowties and cardigans. Why was he so lame? Kurt would probably be there to pick him up, see that he was wearing what he always wore, and drive away. 

There was a soft knock on his door and he turned to see his dad peering in. His eyebrows were raised when he saw the mess in his sons room, “Whoa, buddy. Did a tornado go through the room?”

Blaine let out an annoyed yell, “I have nothing to wear! My date with Kurt is tonight and all I own are stupid nerdy clothes that are fine for every day but not for a _date_.” He fell face first onto his bed, probably wrinkling about five articles of clothing. Burt was at his side in a second. 

“What about those nice blue jeans Quinn got you for Christmas? Those are nice.”

“I've already worn those in front of him,” he spoke into the bedding and had to repeat himself because his father couldn't understand him.

Burt chuckled at that, “Do you know what your mother wore on our first date?”

Blaine turned his face to look at his dad, who had sat down beside him, “What did she wear?”

“A Guns N' Roses t-shirt and bell bottom jeans,” Burt shook his head, laughing, “I remember I had been so worried about what to wear; my room looked exactly like yours does right now. And then she showed up like that, and I realized how stupid I was being. Because who cared what I was wearing?” he bopped Blaine on the nose, “What mattered was who I was with.”

Blaine smiled, sitting up slowly, “I guess I could wear the jeans and pair them with that blue polo you got me for my birthday...”

“There you are,” Burt grinned, ruffling his hair. Blaine squaked, patting down his hair and pouting at his dad. Burt laughed.

“Did your dad help you get ready for your first date too?”

His dad pursed his lips and sat up straighter, “In a way. He... well, he told me some things that I am sadly going to have to tell you to. And I think it'd be better if we got them out of the way now.”

Blaine froze, his face paling, “No, dad. It's not necessary, seriously.”

Burt shook his head, “I think it is. Trust me, I don't wanna do it just as much as you don't wanna hear it, but I feel it's my duty as your father to tell you these things.”

“Seriously dad, I'm not going to have sex tonight,” he flushed slightly at the word and implications, “I'm so not ready for that, don't even worry.”

“I know that son, and I trust you. I just... I almost feel like I've failed you on this front. An old man and his son's gotta talk about sex at some point, right?”

Blaine shook his head instantly, “No, absolutely not. I think it's actually something that many fathers and sons go their whole like without discussing.”

“But we're not just any father and son, bud. We're you and me. So, I'm just going to get some basics out of the way, alright? And then you can go right back to freaking out.”

Blaine groaned, falling back onto his bed, “Alright dad. Just... God, just get it over with.”

“That's the spirit!” Burt joked, then said more seriously, “Alright, first things first: always use protection. I know that there's no change of pregnancy for you, but you could still get an STD through oral or,” he coughed, "Anal. So, be safe. Always.”

Blaine buried his face into his covers, “Thanks for the talk dad, are we done?”

“Not yet. Second thing is make sure you do it with the right person. I can tell you from personal experience that just doing it to get it over with is something you will regret for the rest of your life. Make sure you love him, and make sure he loves you too. Don't just throw that part of yourself away, alright?”

“Got it,” Blaine grumbled. 

“Also, I don't recommend sleeping around. Honestly I can't see you doing that, but just know that when you sleep with someone you're basically sleeping with everybody they've slept with,” Blaine shivered slightly, thinking, once again, about all the guys Kurt had been with, “So you know, one night stands and such are not a good idea. Like I said, I can't really see you doing that, but I can't tell you how to live your life. All I can do is warn you against it.”

Blaine took a deep breath and sat up, smiling, “Dad, I'm not going to sleep around. In fact, if I have it my way, I only plan on sleeping with one person.”

“And that makes me incredibly happy.”

“So...”

Burt laughed, shaking his head, “So we're done here. Thanks for listening, even though I know you didn't want to.”

Blaine shuffled forward, wrapping his arms around his dad, “Thank you, dad. I know you didn't want to do this either so just... Thanks.”

Burt returned the embrace, “I'm here for you, no matter what. You got that, kiddo? You can always come to me with anything.”

“I know,” Blaine muttered into his father's neck, “Thank you so much.”

Burt slowly extracted himself from his son's arms, patting him on the back and then glancing around the room, “I really hope you don't make a habit of this. Because I'm telling you, cleaning a mess like this up is a bitch.”

Blaine laughed, “Don't worry. I won't make a habit of it.”

His dad patted him on the back once more before leaving the room, glancing at the clothes on the floor once more and rolling his eyes before he closed the door. Blaine smiled to himself, wrapping his arms around his middle. He honestly felt bad that not everybody's father was like his. 

He took a deep breath and began searching the giant mess that was his room for the blue jeans he was planning on wearing. 

Kurt would be there at any moment.


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt knew this was a bad idea, especially right before his date with Blaine. He was ready to use an entire tube of toothpaste and about three packs of cinnamon gum to drown out the taste, but he just really needed to a cigarette. 

He had been freaking out ever since Blaine had admitted that he'd made reservations. Because for some reason making reservations himself didn't seem as serious as Blaine making them. After that conversation it had been made official: Blaine Hummel was taking Kurt Anderson on a date. A _date_. Kurt had never considered himself the type to date, even before he had become the second half of the 'school sluts' duo. But there he was, an hour before his date with Blaine, seeking calm from a stick of nicotine. 

Honestly he had nobody to blame but himself. All Blaine had to do was bat his eyelashes and Kurt would give him the world. Kurt took another drag. The power Blaine had over him probably wasn't healthy. 

He shivered slightly in the cool air. It was nearing the end of October, and it was beginning to show. He really should have worn a jacket, but in his haste to get a cigarette between his lips he'd forgotten. 

“That's going to ruin your voice.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, turning and exhaling directly into Sebastian's face. He smirked when his (ex) friend waved the smoke away, a disgusted look on his face. The smoking was the one thing he and Sebastian had never agreed on. He looked away, leaning against the side of the building.

“So you've told me a million times.”

“Just thought I'd remind you.”

They stood in silence for a while, Kurt methodically inhaling and exhaling smoke and Sebastian tapping his foot against the school wall. Finally, Kurt had had enough, “What are you doing here, Sebastian?”

Sebastian shrugged, taking a step closer to Kurt, “Talking to you, I guess. I feel like we haven't spoken in a while.”

Kurt scoffed, “And you're surprised?”

“Look, it was just a joke. I was trying to get along with your new boyfriend,” he practically spat out the word 'boyfriend', as if it were poisonous. Kurt groaned, stubbing out his cigarette against the wall.

“It wasn't a funny joke. It was cruel, it was uncalled for, and it really made me want to punch you in the face.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, “So why didn't you? Oh, wait, I forgot. That would go against your Sister Mary act,” he threw his hands in the air, “You know, honestly, I don't even know why I bother with you anymore. All you want to do is eat, sleep, smoke, and hang out with Blaine. Blaine, Blaine, Blaine.”

“So you decided to hurt his feelings?” Kurt growled. He didn't have time for this. He really, really didn't have time for this.

“Hurt his _feelings_? Do you even hear yourself? Who the hell are you?”

Kurt ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at Sebastian, “I'm Kurt Anderson. My parents are dicks, and it's made me a bit of a dick. My brother is an asshole, which has made me a bit of an asshole. I love to sing, I love to dance, and there is currently a boy in Lima, Ohio who I would do anything for. Do you know who I'm _not_?” he pointed an accusatory finger, “I'm not _you_. I'm not you, and I'll never _be_ you. I hate the way you live your life, and I didn't realize it until my parents waved the fact that I was living my life the way you do in front of my face.”

Sebastian stared at him for a few seconds, then shook his head, “This Blaine guy has got you brainwashed, or something, because this isn't my best friend. You are not the Kurt I met freshman year. He must be really good at giving head if he-”

“Actually,” he cut off coldly, “I wouldn't know if he's good at giving head because, believe it or not, I'm willing to respect the fact that he's a virgin and wants to wait until we're actually dating and in love to have sex!”

It wasn't until a full blown smirk had taken over Sebastian's face that Kurt realized what he'd said, “So you do like him.”

Whatever, it was already out, “How the fuck could I not like him? He's basically everything that's good in the world; he's sweet, his innocent, he always sees the best in people, and he's accepted me for who I am, despite my asshole past. And I swear to fucking _God_ if you ever go near him or say one more mean spirited thing to or about him again, I will not hesitate to break your nose.”

Sebastian looked him up and down. He then reached forward, grabbed Kurt by the collar, and pulled him into a harsh kiss. His tongue was in Kurt's mouth in an instant, and Kurt felt like he was drowning. He pushed at Sebastian's chest and wiped his mouth off. Okay, he was going to need more packs of gum.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Sebastian shrugged, “You're sexy when you're mad at me. I thought we could break your dry spell,” he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Kurt felt sick to his stomach.

“I hope you rot in hell,” he spat, shoving past the boy he used to consider his best friend. He heard Sebastian chuckle behind him. 

“Don't kid yourself doll, you'll be in hell right beside me. And do you know where your precious little Blaine will be?”

Kurt flipped Sebastian the bird over his shoulder, “Hopefully as far away from you as possible.”

**

He had brushed his teeth four times, chewed an entire pack of Big Red, combed his hair and practically hairsprayed it to death, and carefully chosen out an outfit that made his ass look fantastic without making it seem like all Kurt wanted was to get lucky. Because that wasn't what he wanted. At all.

Okay, maybe a little. But it wasn't going to happen, and he was okay with that, so he needed to make sure that Blaine knew he was okay with that.

Finally he found himself sitting in front of the Hummel's driveway, chewing on his lower lip. What was he even doing here? He wasn't fit for dates. And, God, this was Blaine's first date too. He was probably going to ruin it. He would say something completely inappropriate and Blaine would realize what a horrible person Kurt was. 

He shook his head. He was being ridiculous. This was Blaine. They had hung out alone before. They'd gotten coffee together. Those sort of counted as dates, right? So he had nothing to worry about. It would just be like when they went to the Lima Bean, except this time it was clearly defined as a date. 

Taking a deep breath he forced himself out of his car and made his way to the front door of Blaine's house. He really hoped that Mr. Hummel didn't answer the door; one thing was being bad with parents, but being bad with parents when you were taking said parent's child out on his first date?

He rang the doorbell, bouncing on the balls of his feet to calm down. This was crazy. He was being crazy. He had nothing to worry about.

The door opened to reveal Mr. Hummel. _Great_ , “Hello, Kurt right?” Kurt nodded, shoving his hands deep in his pockets simply for something to do, “I'm sorry, but Blaine isn't really in the mood for visitors right now. You see, he's having a sort of anxiety attack due to-” Kurt's heart beat was speeding up. Anxiety attack? Oh God, he hoped it wasn't because of him. It wasn't, right? Maybe Blaine's dad was just messing around, maybe-

“ _Dad.”_ That was definitely Blaine's voice, followed by the sound of someone coming down the stairs, “I told you to let me answer the door, come _on_.”

Mr. Hummel smirked at Kurt, his eyes travelling over his face with amusement, “I couldn't help it son. I needed to see if he was any good for you.”

Blaine appeared beside his father, and Kurt could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat. Blaine had gelled his hair back, like he had done the first time they'd gone to the Lima Bean together. He was wearing a dark purple polo with a light grey vest over it. There was a bowtie around his neck that matched his vest, and his jeans looked like they had been painted on. _Damn._

“And what's the verdict?” Blaine asked, blushing lightly when he noticed Kurt staring at him. Mr. Hummel chuckled.

“Well, he looked like he was about to pass out when I told him that you'd had an anxiety attack so-”

“ _Dad-_ ” 

“I'd say he's alright.”

Kurt let out the breath he'd been holding, relief sweeping through him. He glanced at Blaine, still not over how gorgeous he looked, and then looked up at Blaine's father, “Sir, I promise that I will have Blaine back before eleven. Thank you for trusting me to take care of your son tonight.”

Blaine's face was beet red and his dad was chuckling behind his hand. Kurt frowned. Wasn't that the sort of thing that he was supposed to say? He'd seen stuff like that in movies all the time...

“You're polite, I'll give you that son. Now go on, get,” he pushed Blaine towards Kurt which made his son squeak, “I've got my own date coming in a few minutes, can't have you youngin's here cramping my style.” He winked at Kurt before shutting the door in their faces. Blaine bit his lip, looking up at Kurt shyly. 

“Hey,” he said, “Sorry about him. He's been sort of weird since I told him about this.”

Kurt chuckled, “It's no big deal. He's probably just happy for you.”

The door opened again, this time revealing a slightly disgruntled looking Burt Hummel, “Hey, Blaine, could you remind me what outfit I'd decided on again, because-”

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and began pulling him towards the car, “Goodbye dad, have fun with Carole!”

Kurt laughed as Blaine practically dragged him off the front porch. He looked over his shoulder to find Mr. Hummel laughing to himself as he watched them go. Kurt's heart warmed, especially when their eyes connected and Mr. Hummel sent him an exaggerated wink. Kurt flushed and looked away. 

He would give anything to have a father like Blaine did.

“Hurry, get in the car, he's still there,” Blaine was giggling as he spoke. Kurt bit his lip, struck by just how adorable Blaine was. Without thinking he leaned forward and pecked Blaine on the cheek before opening the car door and gesturing for Blaine to get inside. Blaine was looking at his lap when he sat down, but Kurt could see the way his lips were curving up. 

He waved goodbye to Mr. Hummel before he got into the car himself, grinning over at Blaine when the door closed behind him, “Hi.”

Blaine let out a deep sigh, “Hi.”

“So. Where to, oh mighty date planner?”

Blaine chuckled at that and rattled off a direction to Kurt, who just couldn't stop smiling. He found that his smile kept growing steadily as Blaine went on and on about his recent reconciliation with Puck and Quinn. At one point during the ride Blaine looked over and frowned, “You're not even listening are you?”

Kurt rolled his eyes and reached over to link their hands over the console.

**

They arrived at a small restaurant about ten minutes away called Breadstix. Blaine was bouncing a little in his seat, grinning from ear to ear, “I haven't been here in so long,” he breathed, obviously excited, “Their bread sticks are _so_ good. And they have these amazing vegan meatballs. A friend of Quinn's told her about them once and they're actually fantastic.”

Kurt chuckled as he parked. When Blaine went to open his car door he quickly stopped him, “Don't you dare!” he ran out of the car as fast as he could, walking to the passenger side of the car and opening the door for him. Blaine was blushing when he climbed out.

“What, you aren't going to help me out?” he teased, but his voice was quiet as if he hadn't been expecting Kurt to open the door for him. Kurt grinned and held his hand out. Blaine took it, looking down at their entwined fingers with a soft smile. When he was on his feet Kurt shut the door behind him before linking his fingers with Blaine's again, loving how effortless it is to hold hands with his friend. Blaine squeezes tightly. 

They don't say anything when they walk in, the silence only broken when they enter the restaurant and Blaine quietly tells the waitress that he made a reservation for two under 'Hummel'. The woman glances between their hands, rolls her eyes, pops her bubble gum and monotonously tells them to follow her. Kurt opens his mouth to say something but Blaine squeezes his hand and when he looks down the other boy is shaking his head. 

They are seated near the back of the restaurant, something that Kurt guessed Blaine requested specifically. After what Blaine told him the other day in Westerville about his past bullies Kurt was honestly surprised that their date was taking place in Lima. 

He wasn't about to complain though. The place had a very nice atmosphere.

“Your server will be with you in a minute,” the waitress said as he handed them their menus. She rolled her eyes when both boys gave her a smile and a thank you, walking away muttering under her breath. 

“Well thank God she's not our server all night,” muttered Kurt, “I swear, if she had rolled her eyes one more time-”

Blaine bit his lip to stifle a laugh, “Be nice,” he mouthed as their server came up to them. He was a tall boy with short cropped hair. He glanced at both of them before grinning widely. Blaine smiled right back while Kurt looked the boy up and down. That uniform wasn't doing him any favours.

“Hello, my name is Finn and I'll be your server this evening,” he took out a small notepad, “What will you guys have?”

Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other. Again Kurt went to open his mouth but Blaine put his hand up, “Actually, we haven't been able to look at the menu yet. But we can tell you what drinks we'd like and when you come back we'll be ready.”

The boy's face fell. Kurt dug his fingers into his palm. He was dying to say something, but the poor guy looked like a kicked puppy. Actually, Kurt was pretty sure that there were tears pooling in his eyes, “Shit, I'm sorry. It's my first shift and I've been doing that all night,” Blaine smiled at him encouragingly, “All right, what will you guys have to drink?”

“Water,” was all Kurt said. Blaine glanced at him wearily before saying, “Make that two.”

The waiter nodded, writing it down in his notepad and scurrying away. As soon as he was out of earshot Kurt leaned forward and hissed, “Are you serious?”

“Kurt.”

Kurt sighed, sitting back in his seat. Sometimes he forgot how nice Blaine was. How _kind_ and open he was, all the time. It was something that Kurt admired greatly, seeing as he couldn't seem to say two words before feeling the need to comment sarcastically on something, “I'm sorry. I'm just- I'm really nervous, and Sebastian was being an ass earlier so I'm... God, I'm like the worst date ever.”

Blaine rolled his eyes, “The date just started,” he smirked, “You're not doing so bad so far.” They were quiet for a few seconds before Blaine touched his hand lightly, “What did Sebastian say?”

Kurt shrugged, looking away, “He was just being an asshole about everything, as per usual. He didn't get why I was still pissed at him after what he did to you,” Blaine winced slightly at the memory, blushing, “No, hey, don't be like embarrassed or anything-”

Blaine leaned back awkwardly, shrinking a bit into himself, “Kurt, he's your best friend,” he whispered, “I don't want a silly joke to come between you two.”

“It wasn't a silly joke,” Kurt laced their fingers together over the table, “He hurt you, and I don't think I'll ever forgive him for that. Besides, he said some things and did some things that just...” he shuddered, remembering how Sebastian had pulled him in for a rough kiss. Why he had ever done that willingly...

“Just ignore him,” Blaine was still speaking quietly, his voice soft. Kurt loved Blaine's voice when he spoke like that, “We're here right now, and I don't want a tiff between you and your friend to ruin this.”

Kurt nodded instantly, “You're right. I'm sorry. I just- Like I said, I'm sort of nervous.”

Blaine chuckled as he squeezed Kurt's hand lightly, “You think I'm not?” he leaned forward a bit, “You should have seen my room earlier. It was a serious mess; my dad had to come in and give me the sex talk to calm me down.”

Kurt spluttered out a laugh, clapping a hand over his mouth when he saw Blaine narrow his eyes in his direction, “I'm sorry. It's just... the thought of you and your dad sitting down and having a sex talk...”

“It was on my bed too,” said Blaine, laughing a little bit himself, “So that just added to the awkwardness.”

Kurt couldn't contain his laughter. He tried to keep quiet when he noticed they were getting some dirty looks from other patrons, but still couldn't stop his laughter. Blaine pursed his lips, obviously trying not to laugh. 

“So basically neither of us had the best 'pre-date' moments,” said Kurt after a few more chuckles, “ _But_ we're here now. And I think, seeing as it's both of our first dates, that we should make an effort to make it the best first date ever.”

Blaine grinned up at him, his eyes doing that thing where they went wider than usual and sparkled, “I'd like that.”

“Then it's settled,” Kurt nodded, “When the waiter comes back we'll make sure to order 'The Best Date Ever' and then we'll take a picture of his confused face.”

Blaine shook his head and mumbled, “Don't be mean,” even though he was chuckling quietly himself. They both opened their menus, having to separate their hands to do so, and sent each other lingering glances over the tops of them. Kurt decided right away on a Greek salad with a bowl of tomato soup because the picture made it look delicious. Blaine suddenly slammed his menu down on the table.

“I forgot!” Kurt quirked an eyebrow, and nodded at him to elaborate, “I'm paying. So get whatever you want.”

Kurt put his menu down as well, glaring at his date playfully, “Who told you you were paying?”

“Um...” Blaine glanced down at his lap, where he was probably fiddling with the hem of his shirt, “Well, Quinn said that since I asked you out that I should pay, so I made sure to get some hours in at my dad's shop yesterday so that-”

Kurt chuckled, shaking his head fondly, “Blaine, I don't mind that you want to pay. It just surprised me, is all. I actually came here prepared to pay for you.”

Blaine bit his lip and looked up bashfully, “You can pay next time,” he spoke softly and Kurt's heart skipped a beat.

“I would be honoured.”

Their waiter returned with two glasses of water, apologized for his tardiness and then pulled the notepad out again, “So, are you guys ready to order now?”

Both boys nodded and they rattled off their orders to the tall boy. He wrote it down dutifully, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he did. Blaine shot him a look when Kurt began to imitate him, which made Kurt lift his hands up in the air in a sign of innocence. 

“Alright, so I'll just take your menus,” he grabbed them carefully, “And be back with your food as soon as it's ready.”

Kurt cackled quietly but stopped when Blaine kicked him under the table. He looked up at him, glaring slightly, but then he noticed that the waiter was still standing there, staring at them. Kurt bit his lip and then, ignoring Blaine who was shaking his head, spoke up, “Look, if you're going to make a comment about the fact that we're two guys going on a date you might as well do it now. Come on, get it over with.”

“ _Kurt_ ,” Blaine kicked him in the shins again. 

“What? He's just standing there, I figure if I give him permission-”

“I think you're both really brave.” They looked up to see Finn the waiter clutching their menus to his chest tightly, “For, you know, coming out on a date to a place like this. I wasn't going to- I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Blaine's eyes softened as he looked up at him, “Thank you,” he said, so quietly it was almost like he was mouthing it. Kurt felt a bit of guilt stab at his heart when he saw how sincerely the waiter was smiling down at his friend (more than friend, he supposed). 

“Look,” he spoke up, clearing his throat, “I'm sorry, man. It's just, the girl at the front was sort of-”

Finn nodded, glancing towards the front of the restaurant, “Yeah, she's just rude to everyone though. But I just wanted to tell you guys that. I- I don't know any gay people personally, but my mom is dating a guy with a gay son and... Well, I guess it's just nice to see that you guys can be happy together, even in Ohio.”

They both thanked him again before he rushed to get back to work. Blaine smiled at Kurt who he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, knowing full well that he looked like a petulant child, “Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have busted his balls like that.”

Blaine pursed his lips and then reached towards Kurt's hand, grasping it lightly between his own, “What's really going on, Kurt? Because I know you always claim to be mean but I've never seen you actually be... well, like that.”

Kurt pulled his hand away from Blaine's, running it through his hair, “I guess it's just a bunch of stuff. I'm not- I'm not good at this. I guess that's the first thing. I feel like... Like you think these things about me that just aren't true at all, and I'm scared that Real Me isn't going to measure to Blaine's Fantasy Kurt.”

Blaine was blushing a bit as he looked down at the table, “What sort of things do you think I think about you?”

“I don't fucking know,” he felt another pang of guilt when Blaine winced at his harsh tone, “I'm sorry. I'm just- Christ, I'm horrible. You just said you've had a crush on me for a while, and I just don't understand how you could like me. Because you're just-” Blaine watched him carefully, obviously weary of what he was going to say next, “You're everything Blaine. And I don't know what I did to deserve having you here in front of me, listening to me babble like an idiot.”

Blaine's face was beet red, and he was smiling that soft, shy smile of his that Kurt _loved_ , “I like you because you're you Kurt,” he shrugged, “I don't know how to explain it. I know you've... done things, in the past, but you've shown your regret for doing those things. Besides, if you were such an asshole then why were you by my side not even half an hour after that awful phone call with Sebastian? You're not- You're not perfect Kurt. But that's what I like so much about you.”

Kurt felt like he wanted to cry. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before. His parents had always ragged on him for his imperfections; Cooper had always put him down for his imperfections, hell even Sebastian had made him feel bad several times just because he was a human being. And here was this amazing, beautiful, honest boy telling Kurt that he liked him _because_ he was human. 

“Well Mr. Hummel, I think you just officially saved the date,” he joked, tapping his foot against Blaine's lightly. He could still feel something pulling at him, making him uneasy, but he couldn't quite place it...

“Someone had to,” Blaine teased right back. He looked over Kurt's face, chewing on his lip, “Are you sure that was it? Because you still look like something's bothering you.”

It was one of those moments where his brain sent something to his mouth before he could even properly process it, “Sebastian kissed me.”

Blaine's eyes widened, which made Kurt wince, “I'm sorry. I wasn't- I don't know why I said that...” he looked down at his lap, realizing that Blaine did the same thing when he was embarrassed. He smiled at that and looked back up, “Actually, that's not true. I do know why I said that. It's because I've been feeling like shit all week because I don't feel like I'm good enough for you, like you should be going on your first date with someone who waited for you in every department, not just the date one,” Blaine was fiddling with his cutlery, not looking at him, “And then Sebastian showed up and pissed me off and then _kissed_ me. God. I feel-” he bit his lip, not sure if he should say it out loud. _Screw it_ , “I feel like I cheated on you.”

Blaine gasped, the sound quiet and beautiful like the rest of him. He looked up and Kurt noticed that he had tears in his eyes, “Y-You-”

“I guess it just made me feel really dirty. Like, here I am, a guy that was considered one of the school sluts not two months ago, going on a date with this perfect guy who believes in love and romance and all that bullshit that I used to scoff at but now really want,” _with you_ his brain added, “And I'm getting kissed by a guy who I used to sleep with and-” he had to pause to take a deep breath, “And I just re-ruined our date, didn't I?”

Blaine shook his head, “Not at all,” he smiled even though he had a tear running down his cheek, “I actually talked about this with Puck and Quinn the other day. Because they were sort of in the same situation,” Kurt frowned and Blaine instantly elaborated, “As in Quinn hadn't slept with anyone yet but Puck had been with like, half the school,” Kurt blushed, “We were talking about how I didn't know... how it was going to affect our relationship, I guess.”

Kurt bit his lip, “And...?”

Blaine shrugged as he wiped the tear away, “Well, I'm here with you, aren't I?”

Kurt smiled across the table, feeling relief warm through his heart. He reached across and grabbed Blaine's hand again, intertwining their fingers just as Finn returned with their food. 

Neither of them could bring themselves to untangle their fingers as they ate.

**

The date went slightly uphill from there. Kurt managed not to bring up any of his past conquests, Sebastian, or any other things that might make Blaine feel uncomfortable. Blaine didn't bring any of those subjects up either, and there was only one slight hiccough in their conversation when Finn made another comment about how cool it was that Ohio wasn't stopping them from acting like a couple in public. Both boys had glanced away, neither of them wanting to tell the waiter that they weren't technically a couple yet, and that led to them both awkwardly sipping their water for about five minutes.

Thankfully by the time they pulled out of the Breadstix parking lot, both were laughing and joking as they always did. After they got over the initial... date-y-ness of the situation they realized that they were still Kurt and Blaine. Blaine made a couple of comments on how he couldn't believe this was really happening; Kurt made a few comments on how he never thought he'd see the day (but was so happy that he had). Overall it wasn't as horrible as Kurt had thought it would be. It wasn't the best first date ever, but they would work on having the best second date ever.

He hoped.

When they reached Blaine's house, the smaller boy was almost passing out from laughter, his arms crossed over his stomach and his eyes watering. Kurt loved when Blaine laughed like that, so open and free. It was like he didn't have a care in the world. Maybe, at that moment, he didn't. 

After Blaine calmed down he glanced towards his house. The lights were still on, but there was only one car in the driveway which suggested that Blaine's father's girlfriend had left already. Kurt had to snort at the idea of Mr. Hummel using the excuse of his son going on a date to get some. When Blaine raised an eyebrow at Kurt's snort he just shook his head. He definitely wasn't going to end the date on an awkward 'your dad was just having sex' note. 

“So...” Blaine smiled, his eyes firmly on Kurt's. Kurt bit his lip. 

“So....” he repeated, causing Blaine to laugh quietly. 

“I had fun,” he admitted, still staring at him. Kurt noticed that Blaine was playing with the hem of his t-shirt, but the face that he was looking at Kurt instead of his hand really said something. 

“Me too,” Kurt replied, “We should... we should do it again. Sometime.”

Blaine inhaled sharply before nodding, chewing on his bottom lip as if he were wondering something. One thing that Kurt had found out about Blaine over their friendship was that when Blaine had something on his mind, he normally needed Kurt to encourage him to say it. Every now and then he'd surprise him with a totally honest moment (like when he'd told him about his bullies), but more often than not...

“What are you thinking?”

Blaine shrugged, blushing slightly, “I... You like me, right?”

“Of course,” Kurt answered immediately. What sort of question was that? Blaine looked down at his lap, squirming a bit in his seat. He unbuckled his seat belt and turned to face Kurt so that his entire body was angled towards him. 

“I mean, you _like_ like me.”

Kurt chuckled, “Yes, Blaine. I _like_ like you.” After a deep breath Blaine said something quietly. Kurt frowned, “Sorry?”

“I was-” Blaine shook his head, “Never mind. It's-”

“Not stupid, come on,” he unbuckled his seat belt as well, turning so that he was also facing Blaine completely, “What is it? You know I never think anything you say is stupid.”

Blaine shrugged, shrinking in on himself slightly, “I was just wondering if we were boyfriends now, but I realized how childish that sounds so...” he trailed off, looking towards his house out the window. Kurt bit his lip, thinking briefly on that. Were they boyfriends? God, that was something Kurt never thought he'd have to think about. How did he go from an anti-love, promiscuous fiend to considering dating a boy he'd known a month?

“I don't think it's childish,” he answered immediately, which made Blaine look towards him hopefully, “However I don't think... Not yet.”

Blaine, thankfully, didn't look too disappointed by that, “Alright,” he grinned, “You know what's really funny?”

Kurt couldn't stop the fond laugh from coming out, “What's really funny?”

“The first time we met I told you I didn't want to sleep with you,” that still made Blaine blush, “Or date you or anything, and you just laughed outright and said that you don't do boyfriends.” He shrugged, his eyes twinkling, “It's just funny that you just said that we're not boyfriends yet, which means that we might be eventually.”

Kurt bit his lip, “That's not funny,” Blaine's face fell slightly, “That's a sign of what you do to me.”

Blaine giggled, running a hand through his hair self-consciously before groaning when he remembered he still had gel in it. Kurt laughed out loud at that, reaching forward to hold the hand Blaine had run through his hair. 

“Hey,” he spoke quietly. Blaine looked at him seriously, and Kurt could tell that he was breathing a bit heavier than before. 

“Hi,” he replied, licking his lips. Kurt glanced down at them. God, how many fantasies had he had about those lips? How many dreams had he woken up from where those absolutely sinful lips were wrapped around him, sucking hickeys into his thighs... It dawned on him that he'd never really thought about kissing them. It always involved some sort of dirty ulterior motive. However now, sitting in his car, staring at Blaine's lips... All he wanted to do was kiss them. 

“Ca-Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice slightly higher pitched than usual. The words sounded foreign coming out of his mouth. He'd never asked for a kiss before. He'd always just gone for it; he'd always known when the other guy wanted it. With Blaine... he could never tell. 

“Yeah,” Blaine breathed, his eyes wide and anxious. 

Hesitantly, Kurt brought his hands up to cup Blaine's face. He leaned in, shifting as he did so so that he was on his knees, “Relax,” he whispered as he leaned in. Blaine was breathing heavily, his lips parted and the breath hitting Kurt's mouth. It was warm and intoxicating.

“Please,” Blaine whined when Kurt was about half an inch away from his lips. Kurt smirked, closed his eyes, and carefully fit his lips to Blaine's. 

That was it. He never wanted to kiss anybody ever again. If this was what kissing was supposed to feel like, Kurt wondered what he'd been doing wrong all those years. Because no kiss he'd shared with anybody had ever felt like this. He felt so whole, so complete. Blaine's lips weren't really moving, but Kurt figured that it was because he was in as much shock as he himself was. 

They separated with a slight smack that sent shivers down Kurt's back. Blaine's eyes were still closed, and Kurt could feel his heart beat where his hands were still cupping his jaw. There was no other way to put it; this was without a doubt the most erotic moment of his life. 

“Wow,” Blaine spoke quietly. Kurt grinned, leaning in to peck him once more, just a simple chaste kiss that lasted less than three seconds. It still made him feel warm everywhere. 

“Blaine... I hate to ruin the moment... but your dad is on your porch staring at us.”

Blaine burst out into laughter, pressing his forehead against Kurt's, “Thank you,” he smiled, leaning forward to connect their lips one last time. Kurt pulled his closer, one hand slipping to the back of Kurt's neck. He was just considering if he should risk slipping in his tongue when something hit the side of his car. Blaine began laughing into his mouth, pulling away a few seconds later. 

“What-”

“I think my dad just threw a rock at your car,” he was still laughing, his voice breathy. Kurt snorted at that too. 

“Well, I guess this is where I say adieu.”

Blaine bit his lip (his kiss swollen, pink bottom lip. Kurt had done that...), “I'll see you soon?” his voice was so full of hope. Kurt grinned, feeling hope swell in his own chest. 

This was going to work. Him and Blaine. He had nothing to worry about because it was going to work. 

“Yeah,” he nodded when Blaine opened the car door to step out. Kurt grabbed his hand, pulling him back in for one final kiss. Just because he could. 

“Bye.”

Kurt smirked when Blaine took a couple of tentative steps back, “Bye,” he replied, not able to think of anything else. Blaine grinned, and then turned around and jogged to the house. His dad was still standing on the porch, arms crossed over his chest, but there was a soft smile on his face. It made Kurt realize that yes, everything was going to be alright. 

It was only when he was back at Dalton, lying in his bed as Sebastian snored on the other side of the room, that he'd never corrected Blaine when he'd said that Sebastian was his best friend. Because that wasn't true anymore; it hadn't been for a while. Not since Blaine walked into his life. 

Suppressing a squeal, Kurt rolled over on his bed and slammed his eyes shut, hoping that sleep would come to him sooner rather than later so that he could get up early enough to wake Blaine up with phone call. 

Maybe dating Blaine wouldn't be as difficult as he'd made it out to be. 


	10. Chapter 10

Kissing Kurt was probably Blaine's favourite thing. They'd already been kissing for a month, and he honestly didn't think he'd ever get tired of it. The way Kurt's lips fit against his so perfectly, how he'd tug his lower lip into his mouth and suck, how he'd confidently lick into Blaine's mouth... He just loved everything that kissing entailed. 

He thought that maybe he'd like kissing more if he was able to call Kurt his boyfriend, but Kurt insisted that they wait just a bit longer. According to him they were 'dating'. Blaine had always thought that 'dating' meant 'boyfriends' but he wasn't exactly the most knowledgeable person on the subject matter. 

“I think it's stupid,” Puck had claimed three weeks after Kurt and Blaine had begun dating, “Not calling things what they are. That boy is your boyfriend, he's just being stupid.”

Blaine had shrugged, hugging his legs up to his chest, “I don't really mind. I mean, I still get to say that I'm dating him. I'm willing to wait for him to be comfortable with the idea of a boyfriend. I know he didn't want one before we started our... thing.”

Puck had scoffed, “Gimme a break. That boy's been in love with you for like, ever. He's just being selfish and still keeping you at arms length. I say you go all out on him. Tell him it's boyfriends or nothing.”

“I don't want that though. I'm fine with just dating. Like I said, it's more than I ever expected. And it's not like we're not kissing...” he had blushed at that, which led to Puck climbing into his bed and demanding details. 

That had been a week ago, and Puck was once again in his room. He was chewing gum loudly and fiddling with a cigarette as Blaine shot him a dirty look. 

Quinn was going to her chastity ball thing with her dad, and thankfully she wasn't showing too much (although a small bump had appeared right in the middle of her stomach, which had made Puck ecstatic) so her dress still fit. Her parents were still none the wiser. 

Puck had been freaking out for the past few days so Blaine had spent any second he wasn't with Kurt with Puck, teaching him new recipe’s and watching movies. He'd promised that he could sleep over the night of the ball, which had made Puck hug him tightly for an awkwardly long period of time. 

“Are you sure I'm not imposing?” Puck asked for the millionth time, “You don't have plans with pretty boy tonight, right? Because I don't want to-”

“Puck. You're fine. I invited you over, remember? If I had plans with Kurt I wouldn't have.”

Puck sighed, falling on his back on the air mattress that Burt had set up for him. He stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, during which Blaine texted Kurt about his current situation, saying that they probably wouldn't be able to call each other later. Puck had a tendency of staying up until four in the morning during sleepovers, whether he or Quinn were still up or not. Kurt had texted back a sad face that had make Blaine smile.

“I don't want her to give it away.”

Blaine frowned and switched his position on his bed so that he was laying on his stomach, facing Puck, “What do you mean?”

“The baby,” Puck spoke quietly, “I don't want Quinn to give the baby up.”

Blaine pursed his lips, “Have you tried talking to Quinn about it? I'm sure she'd consider it if you asked...”

Puck shrugged, flipping over so that he was also on his stomach, “Yeah, we've talked about it. But it always comes down to bills and school, and how we won't be able to take care of him or her all the time. And asking our parents for help is out of the question, because as soon as I told my mom she told me to do whatever as long as she didn't end up taking care of it all day. And Quinn's parents...”

“Do you really think they'll react that badly?” Blaine knew Quinn's parents, and he knew they were... traditional... but that didn't always mean that their reactions were certain, “I mean, they've never had a problem with me being gay.”

Puck shook his head, “Yeah, but you're not their kid. They didn't raise you. With Quinn they'll think they went wrong or something. The Fabray's are nutty, man. When I went over for the first official 'Meet the Parents' dinner I swear I thought her dad was going to chop my balls off. Kept going on and on about respecting his little girl and how Quinn wanted to wait until marriage and...”

Blaine sighed, “Well, I guess you never know until you actually just get it over with. And hey, you know that Quinn's welcome here if... well, if worse comes to worse.”

“I hope it doesn't,” Puck groaned, hiding his head in his arms, “I just hate that they don't know. And it's not something she can keep a secret forever, they're going to find out eventually. And I just know they're going to be even more pissed that she didn't tell them from the beginning.”

Blaine didn't know what to say, “I'm sorry.”

Puck let out a sarcastic laugh, “You shouldn't be. You're not the one who got her pregnant. That was me. And you know what? I don't regret it. Yeah, I wish it had been a bit later in life, but I already love that little baby, whoever it's going to be. I wouldn't wish it away for the world.”

Puck continued to lie with his face between his arms for another two or so minutes while thoughts swirled around his head. When he finally had a coherent one he spoke up, “You know,” Puck's head came up slowly, “I'm home schooled.”

Puck raised an eyebrow, “So?”

“So I'm at home all day.”

“I repeat: _so_?”

Blaine sat up, rolling his eyes, “ _So_ if you need a babysitter for the baby while you and Quinn are at school, then I'm available. And I'd do for free, so you wouldn't have to worry about money.”

Puck sat up as well, frowning, “Wait. So... you don't think it's stupid that I want to keep the baby?” 

“Of course not. Honestly I think it's sweet. And I'm sure that Quinn will think it's sweet too.”

Puck bit his lip as he looked over Blaine's face. This was one of the first times that Blaine had ever seen Puck in a truly vulnerable position, the other few being when Quinn had told Blaine she was pregnant and when he'd gone to apologize. It seemed strange to see Puck who had always seemed so strong act so... small. 

“You'd really do that? For us?”

Blaine grinned, “Puck, I told you both that I'm in this with you one hundred percent. And hey, if you keep the baby then I'm guaranteed to be Uncle Blaine.”

Without another word Puck stood up, walked towards Blaine and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. Blaine hugged back despite the awkward position, and soon they had both fallen onto Puck's bed, laughing and swatting at each other playfully. 

After they'd calmed down they simply lay on the bed together, staring at the ceiling with their shoulders pressed together.

“I'm going to be a dad.”

Blaine didn't think, he just reached down and grabbed Puck's hand in his. Puck turned to him and grinned, squeezing his hand lightly, “You're going to be an amazing dad, Puck. If you're given the chance.”

“I'll be just like your dad.”

Blaine snuggled a bit closer to his friend, “You'll be just like my dad.”

**

Apparently they had fallen asleep in that position because Blaine found himself being woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. He groaned when he realized that Puck had fallen asleep practically on top of him, and he tried to shimmy out without waking his friend. By the time he had made it out, the phone had stopped ringing. Blaine rubbed his eyes, annoyed, but decided he might as well see who had been calling; just in case it was an emergency. 

It was Kurt.

He called back instantly, glancing towards Puck before hiding himself in his bathroom, his phone pressed against his ear. Kurt picked up after one ring.

“Hey!” he exclaimed. 

“Hey yourself. Sorry I missed your call, me and Puck sort of fell asleep and it turns out he's a bit of a cuddle whore so...”

Kurt chuckled on the other end, “Should I be jealous?”

Blaine blushed at the thought of Kurt being jealous of him with someone else, “Not at all. It's just Puck.” They were both silent for a few seconds, “So, why did you call?”

Kurt groaned at that. Blaine heard a _thunk_ on the other end and he imagined Kurt had just banged his head against something, “Here, listen.”

Blaine frowned, wondering what he was supposed to be listening too. It took a few minutes for any sound to register, but when it did he flushed dark red. On the other end he could hear the sound of a muffled bed spring bouncing up and down and what was definitely two boys moaning. Thankfully it didn't last long. 

“Did you hear it?”

“Mhmm.”

“Sebastian brought this guy back from Scandals and they've been going at it for _ever_. I swear to God, it's getting ridiculous. I tried to see if I could bunk with Nick because he's got a single, but he had his girlfriend over too. So now I'm stuck waiting outside my room, listening to Sebastian fuck some guy into the mattress and I'm _bored_ and _tired_ and-”

Blaine snickered, “You sound like you're whiny too.”

Kurt actually whined after he said that, “I haven't seen you for like, three days. I get that Puck's going through a rough time, but I have needs too,” Blaine blushed. Kurt paused for a second, “Would it be awkward if I told you I was super horny right now?”

It took Blaine a while to realize that the unattractive squeak he had just heard had come from him, “A little,” his voice had gone high and now he was definitely blushing, all the way down to his toes. The whole conversation seemed surreal so far. First the sex noises (and Blaine had never heard noises like that outside of porn. The thought that there were two people right at that very moment having sex was strange), and then Kurt's confession. He didn't really know what to do. 

“I'm sorry, I sort of put you on the spot,” Kurt was chuckling self-deprecatingly, “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just that hearing those two and thinking about you... Sorry, ignore me.”

Blaine cleared his throat, afraid his voice would come out high pitched again, “You know, it's okay if you... you know, think of me. I know I said in the past that I don't see it as a compliment; but lately I've been starting to understand why people get flattered when someone says they're hot.”

“Would this have anything to do with my super fantastic, out of this world kisses? I have a talented tongue, I know. You can say it.”

“ _Kurt_.”

“I know, I know. Sorry. But I do, by the way. Think of you like that.”

Blaine couldn't help but wonder, despite his embarrassment, what Kurt thought of when he thought of him... like _that_. He know he himself had fantasized about Kurt once or twice, but he never imagined them doing more than kiss and maybe rub up against each other a little. Kurt, however, was more experienced in the ways of sex than he was; his fantasies probably involved them doing much more than making out. 

“Me too,” he admitted quietly, “Like, I don't think of me like that, but I think of you like that. Sometimes.”

Kurt inhaled sharply over the phone, “Christ, Blaine, that's so hot. What do you think, when you think of me?”

Blaine blushed. Okay, so it was one thing to think it to himself. It was another to say it out loud to his almost-boyfriend. He cleared his throat again, “I-I think of us kissing... on my bed. And maybe like, I don't know, rubbing a little bit. Below the waist,” God, he was so awkward. Why did Kurt even like him? If they really were doing what he thought they were doing (and he was pretty sure that they were leading up to having phone sex, which Blaine wasn't exactly sure how to feel about) then he knew that Kurt would be severely disappointed. 

“I think of that too,” Kurt admitted, his voice breathy over the phone, “Do you think of us doing more? Or just that?”

“Just that,” Blaine hated how quiet his voice got sometimes. _God_ why was he so bad at this?

“I think of us doing more,” Blaine was pretty sure he just heard a zipper go down. He swallowed thickly, “You know what I think about the most?” Blaine shook his head before he realized that Kurt couldn't see him. Kurt, it seemed, got the picture anyway, “I think of you sucking me off. God, your lips are just made for that.”

Now Blaine was feeling a little hot under the collar too, because honestly he'd never even considered that, but hearing Kurt say it... He didn't think he'd be too opposed to trying that out. Eventually. 

“K-Kurt?”

It took Kurt a second to respond, but when he did it was preceded by a pornographic moan, “Yeah?”

Blaine felt his heart speed up. Okay, Kurt was definitely touching himself. He was sitting in the middle of the hallway at his dorm in Dalton, touching himself. Because of Blaine, “A-Are we having phone sex?”

The question sounded stupid as soon as it left his mouth, but he couldn't take it back. He listened to Kurt's heavy breaths on the other side for a few seconds, the mental image of Kurt in an empty hallway doing the things that Blaine did to himself making him stir in his pants. No, he couldn't do this. He wasn't ready. They weren't even dating officially. 

“Only if you want to.”

“I-I-”

Everything was suddenly silent. Kurt took a deep breath, “You don't want to, do you?”

“I'm just- I'm not- I can't-”

He sounded pathetic. Absolutely, completely, pathetic. Here he was, in the bathroom listening to his almost-boyfriend jack off to thoughts of him, and he couldn't even bring himself to undo his own zipper. 

“-didn't want to make you feel pressured, Jesus, what's the matter with me.”

“Sorry?” Blaine asked, having missed the first part of the sentence. Kurt sighed into the phone and Blaine felt his heart sink. He must be disappointed. He was probably going to tell Blaine that he was tired of waiting around, that he was ready to hop back into bed and since he knew Blaine wouldn't do that with him that he was going to find somebody else. 

_We're not even official. If he chose to sleep with someone else I couldn't stop him. It's not like he owes me anything..._

“I said that I was way out of line to start that at all. I'm really sorry if I made you feel pressured; I know you want to wait and I respect that. My only excuse is that it's been over two months since I got laid and I'm a teenage boy with hormones. But that doesn't excuse me for making you feel uncomfortable. So I'm sorry.”

Blaine felt like crying. Every time he thought Kurt would leave him he turned around and said things like that, “I don't deserve you.”

“What? Blaine, are you _crazy_?”

He shook his head, “No, I'm not. I'm completely serious. You should be with someone who's going to give you what you want.”

Kurt was silent for a while, “Blaine, I want _you_. I know we haven't made it official yet, but seriously, I don't know what makes you think you don't deserve me. If anything I don't deserve you.”

Blaine snorted, “Yeah right. You don't deserve the awkward, nerdy kid who wears sweater-vests and bowties, who has crazy hair and no friends? How does that work?”

“Do you really see yourself that way?” Blaine felt tears beginning to pool in his eyes, “Because I don't. Do you want to know how I see you? I see you as a beautiful, shy, sweet, innocent boy. I see you as everything that's good in the world; you're so smart, Blaine. And you're just so nice, to everyone. The way you just accepted me after I told you about Chandler and Sebastian? It blew my mind. _You_ blow my mind. Everything about you. You're so special. You're so unique. And I just don't see how you don't see yourself the way I do.”

He didn't have any words for that. He felt tears begin to run down his cheek, and before he knew it he was downright sobbing. Kurt was whispering sweet nothings in his ear, but that just made him cry more. What had he ever done to deserve such kind words? The way Kurt say him seemed to be the exact opposite that Blaine saw himself. But the way he said it... It made him feel _loved._

**

The next morning he woke up in the bathroom, his face and arm numb and his cellphone clutched tightly in his hand. He felt disoriented for a second before he remembered the night before and he smiled softly. He brought the phone up and felt his heart warm when he saw a text from Kurt. 

_I know what I said last night was totally cheesy, but I meant every word of it. Call me soon, I need to see you. -K_

He dragged himself into his room, where Puck was still fast asleep on his bed. He smiled and climbed onto the air mattress. He figured he should get in a couple of hours of sleep that weren't spent on the floor. His back was already starting to kill him. 

He opened the picture of Kurt he had saved on his phone and smiled. He wondered if he'd ever fall asleep beside the real Kurt. 

**

“Blaine.”

“mno”

“Blaine.”

“g'way.”

“Kiddo, come on, you have to get up. It's Quinn.”

He opened one eye to look at his dad, who looked extremely concerned. He sat up slowly, yawning and cursing himself for falling asleep in the bathroom. His back _really_ hurt. 

“What happened?”

Burt bit his lip, “I don't know, but she showed up a couple of minutes ago bawling her eyes out. Puck's with her downstairs, but she kept asking for you. Figured I'd wake you up and let you know.”

Fear shot through him. He got out of bed as fast as he could, tripping over his sheet when he managed to stand up. His father straightened him up and after a quick thank you Blaine was upstairs with his arm around his friend. 

Puck had been holding onto her, but when Blaine came down he let her go so that he and Quinn could hug. He looked up from Quinn's hair and saw that Puck had tears in his eyes. It made him hug Quinn harder. 

“What happened?” he mumbled into her hair. She let out a quiet cry at the question and began clawing at his back, “Shh, Quinn, it's okay. It's alright. We're here. We're going to take care of you.”

“I-I- And they- They're my _parents_ how could they just-” Blaine shushed her again, and began to pet her hair as she sobbed into his chest. He looked at Puck for some clue. 

“Her parents found out she's pregnant,” he said, his own voice cracking as if he were also about to cry, “They, um- They told her that either she a-aborts the baby or she can't live with them anymore.”  
Blaine wanted to scream. He looked up to see Burt standing in the door frame, his fists clenched. He wanted to cry. Why couldn't Quinn have a father like he did? Who told their own kid to abort or get lost? He didn't understand...

His dad was suddenly beside them, a hand on Quinn's shoulder, “You always have a home here, Quinn. I'm going to tell your parents that you're going to be staying with us for a couple of days,” Quinn opened her mouth, obviously about to argue, but Burt put a hand up, “It's not up for discussion. I'll grab some of your clothes for you while I'm there, alright?”

Quinn's lower lip wobbled as she watched the older man, “Thank you,” her voice was scratchy and rough, but Blaine could feel the gratitude. He held her closer and nodded towards his father, mouthing his own thanks to him. His dad shook his head and muttered something under his breath before leaving the house. 

When they heard the door slam shut, Puck came closer so that he could hug Quinn as well. She sniffled and shifted slightly so that she could hug both of them at the same time. Puck kissed her lightly on the cheek. 

“I'm so sorry Quinn,” Blaine whispered. Quinn gave him a watery smile and placed a hand on his jaw, rubbing up and down. 

“I'm just so happy that you're here Blaine,” she spoke quietly, her voice still rough from crying, “I don't know what I would do if we were still fighting.”

Blaine sat up on his knees and cupped his friends face in his palms. He briefly remembered how Kurt had done the same when they'd first kissed, but he dismissed the thought. Now wasn't the time, “You have to know Quinn that even if I was still angry at you I would have let you stay here.”

She threw herself back into his arms, “You're amazing. You're the best friend anyone could hope for. I'm so happy we're still friends and I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, it's-”

“No,” Blaine stroked up and down her back, “None of that. Not now.”

Puck glanced between them for a second before pulling Quinn off of Blaine carefully and taking her hand, “Babe, I know this is hard right now. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. But you have to know that me and Blaine, we're going to be here for you all the way. Especially me,” Quinn gave him an adoring smile, and Blaine felt (not for the first time) like he was intruding on an intimate moment between the two, “That's my baby in there too. And I'm going to protect it, and it's mama, for as long as you'll let me.”

Quinn pulled him in for a short, sweet, kiss that made Blaine smile, “Her,” she whispered. 

“What?” Puck and Blaine exchanged a confused glance. Quinn looked down at her hand that was wrapped in Puck's. She then reached the other one out to hold one of Blaine's hands. 

“The baby. It's a girl. I found out a long time ago, but I wanted to keep it a surprise.”

The three hugged for what felt like forever. Quinn was still crying in between them, and Blaine was pretty sure that Puck was crying as well. When they split up, Blaine quietly excused himself, saying he was going to make a batch of brownies for them as an 'I'm sorry your parents suck, but congratulations on your girl' offering. They both smiled up at him as if they knew that he was purposefully leaving them alone and then he scurried out of the room. 

Instead of going to the kitchen, however, he made his way downstairs. He needed to call Kurt, just to give him an update. Just to let him know that he was okay, but that they still wouldn't be able to see each other for a couple more days. It made him sad not to see his almost-boyfriend for that long, but his friends needed him. Blaine knew that if one of Kurt's friends from Dalton was going through what his friends were going through that they'd be his top priority. 

“Well hello there,” was how Kurt answered the phone, after the second ring. Blaine couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face when he heard Kurt's voice. 

“Hey,” he replied shyly. He bit his lip before proceeding, “Look, um... I know I told you last night that we would hang out today but something sort of... came up.”

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” he assured, “But Quinn just got kicked out of her house. Her parents found out she's pregnant and she's sort of a mess. Puck's taking care of her right now, but she's staying with us for a while, so...”

He heard Kurt breath deeply over the phone, “Tell Quinn I'm sorry. I wouldn't wish something like that on my worst enemy,” he was quiet for a few seconds, “Look, I feel like I should apologize again for what I tried last night. That was totally inappropriate.”

Blaine smiled, sinking into his bed, “Don't worry about it. What you said after totally made up for it.”

He heard Kurt giggle on the other end, and the sound made him beam. He'd never heard Kurt giggle before, “Well, I meant all of that. And let Quinn know that if she needs anything my parents know some very important people. I'd be willing to pull a few strings for someone who obviously means so much to you.”

Blaine sighed giddily, feeling like a school girl with a crush, “I do miss you,” he said into the phone, pouting, “You could come over tomorrow. You, me and Quinn could watch a movie. I know there wouldn't be any kissing, but-”

“I will be there with bells on.” Blaine chuckled at that. He wouldn't put it past Kurt to actually wear bells. 

“I can't wait.”

“Okay, now, shoo. Your friends need you.”

Blaine laughed and said his goodbyes, smiling dumbly at the phone for a few seconds after hanging up. He wondered if Kurt would always have that affect on him. He seriously hoped that he did. 

**

Blaine really had nobody but himself to blame for what was currently happening. Really, it was all his fault. He should have just kept his mouth shut, he should have let Puck go get Quinn her stupid night cream but he had done that stupid thing where he pouted and sat a bit too close to Quinn, hinting he wanted to be left alone with her. Blaine knew his father was going to be out late, which obviously meant that Quinn and Puck would get the house to themselves ( _his_ house, he thought, annoyed). 

And then there was his own stupid brain, claiming that if he was going to be responsible enough to take care of a baby he was obviously responsible enough to drive to a pharmacy to get some moisturizer for Quinn. Alone.

He shivered as he forced himself out of his car. He shouldn't be nervous, he had driven all the way to Westerville to make sure that he didn't run into anybody from his old school, but this was still the first time he'd been out alone in over two years. He thought about calling Kurt, but then realized that he would only be there for about ten minutes, and it seemed a bit silly to ask his boy- Kurt to meet him for only ten minutes. 

The pharmacy was much larger than Blaine had thought, probably part of a chain, and he quickly got lost in his search for the specific brand that Quinn wanted. Honestly he thought the whole thing was slightly ridiculous seeing as he and his father were going over to her house the next day to get the rest of her things, but he didn't really want to anger a pregnant woman. 

It took him at least five minutes to get to the skin care section. Once there he almost passed out; he had no idea there were so many brands that did so many different things. 

He considered asking an employee for help, but his throat instantly seized up at that thought. Instead he started perusing the shelves for what Quinn wanted. It wasn't until he had the product in his hand several minutes later that he realized that someone was watching him. 

His first instinct was to run. Everything in him told him to get out of there as fast as possible. However, seeing as he was in a large pharmacy with an unpurchased product in his hands, he didn't think that running was the best option. So instead he glanced towards where he felt someone watching him and instantly froze when he saw who it was. 

It was like horror movie music started playing as the tall boy approached him. He looked extremely familiar, and Blaine knew why immediately – he was the guy who Kurt had been with the day they met. The guy who had called him and almost ruined his friendship with Kurt. 

Sebastian. 

“Well, look who's out all on his lonesome.” Blaine swallowed thickly, his feet trying to move, to get _out_ , “You know, I've never seen you up close before. You really are a pretty thing, aren't you?”

Blaine looked down at his shoes, “What do you want?” he tried to speak loudly, assertively, but as always his nerves got the best of him and his voice came out as shaky. He didn't have to look up to know that Sebastian was smirking. 

“Just to get a closer look at the guy whose got Kurt by the balls,” he placed a finger on Blaine's chin and forced him to look up into his eyes. Blaine averted his eyes instantly, “Shy. Cute. What brings you all the way to Westerville?”

“None of your business,” Blaine muttered. Sebastian chuckled, and the sound made a shiver run down Blaine's spine. He should have called Kurt. He should have called him even though he was only going to be there for ten minutes because this was way worse than running into any bully. Running into Kurt's ex-best friend and ex-lover was worse than running into a bully any day. 

“I see. Skin care,” Sebastian plucked the bottle out of his hand. Blaine didn't even try to stop him, “That's good. I'm sure Kurt appreciates that in a guy.”

“What do you want?” Blaine repeated, a bit stronger this time, his eyes meeting Sebastian's. The taller boy held his gaze, an annoying smirk playing on his lips. He took a step closer, officially in Blaine's personal space. Blaine wanted to glance around, to see if there was anybody near them, but that would mean breaking eye contact, which would mean giving Sebastian more of an upper hand than he already had. 

“Wasn't expecting to see you here. Kurt's been grumpy lately because you're so busy with those little public school friends of yours. He keeps rejecting my advances,” he broke eye contact, but only to rake his eyes up and down Blaine's body. Despite the fact that he was wearing at least three layers, Blaine felt like he was standing naked in front of this boy. It wasn't a good feeling, “I really should bitch you out, but I don't think I'm going to.”

Blaine took a step back. Sebastian followed him, “W-Why would you? Do you have a crush on Kurt? Because-”

Sebastian snorted at that, “A crush on Kurt? Please. I don't do crushes,” he smirked and eyed Blaine again, his gaze lingering for far too long on his crotch, “I fuck people. And I used to fuck Kurt before you came along.”

“I thought that Kurt-”

“However,” Sebastian took another step towards Blaine and yeah, he was way too close, “I don't think I can find it in me to hold it against you. Do you want to know something?” Blaine didn't move, “That first time we saw you, I really wanted to approach you. Kurt begged me not to; he wanted you all to himself.”

“Look, I really don't-”

“Can I ask you something Blaine?” 

Blaine took another step back, mentally freaking out as Sebastian followed him yet again, “What?” his voice was quiet. Sebastian grinned, but it was nothing like when Kurt grinned. Sebastian looked like he wanted to eat Blaine alive. Kurt always looked like he wanted to hold Blaine close and never let him go when he grinned.

“Have you and Kurt made things official yet?”

He took two steps back, “N-Not yet. But we're... Um, we're getting there.”

Sebastian's grin grew, “I was hoping you'd say that.”

“Wh-”

“Go out with me.”

Blaine's eyes grew wide and he continued to step back until he couldn't go any further. His felt something hit his back, and he realized that he'd ended up backing himself into a corner. A quick glance around made it obvious that there was nobody else around, “I'm dating Kurt,” he said quietly. Sebastian slowly approached him, like a predator stalking it's prey. 

“But not exclusively.”

“Yes, we are exclusively dating each other.”

“Are you boyfriends?”

“Well, no, I told you that we were getting there.”

Sebastian was about a foot away from him and Blaine really wished that he had stayed home, “Isn't the point of dating to see other people? I'm sure Kurt's been fucking around with other guys. Although why he would do that when he's got you waiting for him,” with a final stride he closed the distance between them, brought his hand up and cupped Blaine's cheek, “You've got killer lips. No wonder Kurt keeps coming back to you, you must give head like a pro.”

“Kurt and I... We haven't...” he turned his head so that he wasn't looking at Sebastian anymore, but all it did was shift Sebastian's hand so that his thumb was resting on Blaine's bottom lip. 

“Really?” the taller boy sounded far too happy, “Now you really have to go out with me.”

Blaine tried to make himself smaller, “I like Kurt.”

“And I like sex,” something rattled and Blaine looked up briefly to see that Sebastian was holding an unopened box of condoms in his hand (of _course_ that was what he'd come here for), “Especially when I get to teach someone the ropes.”

Blaine squeaked, and Sebastian took the opportunity to slip his thumb into Blaine's mouth. He kept perfectly still, not wanting to give Sebastian the wrong idea. Eventually Sebastian removed his thumb. Blaine exhaled, feeling lighter now that the boy wasn't touching him. 

The feeling didn't last long. 

As soon as he'd let his defence down, even though it had just been a second, Sebastian swooped in and pressed a bruising kiss to his lips. Blaine tried to scream but the sound was muffled by Sebastian's mouth, and his stomach churned unpleasantly when a tongue tried to slip between his lips. 

Finally finding some strength, he placed his hands on Sebastian's chest and pushed him away, “Don't,” his voice was hoarse and his sight was getting blurry. _Great_ he rubbed at his eyes. 

“You'll change your mind,” Sebastian pressed his entire body against Blaine's, and oh _God_ that was- “Kurt will get tired of you eventually, especially if you act like that every time he plants one on you. And then you'll come running to me,” a hand fell down to his butt and squeezed one cheek roughly. Blaine jumped and tried to squirm out of Sebastian's grasp, his hand burning a hole through his jeans, “And I'll fuck your tight little virgin ass so hard that you'll forget all about Anderson.”

Blaine shook his head, tears escaping his eyes, “No,” he managed, “No, I'll- No. I like Kurt and if anybody is going to- It'll be him,” he reached behind him and plucked Sebastian's hand off of him. Thankfully, the other boy didn't try and return his hand to his bum, “Please leave me alone now.”

Sebastian looked him over, an ugly sneer on his face, and then finally walked away. Before he did, he pressed Quinn's moisturizer into Blaine's hand and gave him one final, “See you around,” a wink, and then he disappeared. 

Blaine didn't move for far too long. His whole body was shaking, and his lips were tingling from the unwanted kiss that had been forced upon him. As soon as he got his legs to move he would grab a bar of soap and as soon as he got home he was going to wash his mouth and lips clean of any traces of Sebastian. He hated that he'd put himself in a situation to be taken advantage of by the boy (because he had, this was his fault, he had suggested getting Quinn's cream, he had walked himself in a corner, he had _let_ Sebastian touch him). Hated that the one time he went out this happened.

After a few minutes he finally was able to move again. He forced himself to the cashier, paid for Quinn's moisturizer (that _stupid_ moisturizer, why had he volunteered to get it, he was so _stupid_ ) and ran to his car. Thankfully he didn't see Sebastian at all in the parking lot, which indicated that he had – thankfully – left. Blaine sat in the car for as long as he dared, taking long, deep, calming breaths. 

He wanted nothing more than to wipe what had happened from his memory. Wished he could go back in time and tell past him to just go to the pharmacy in Lima because the possibility of running into Azimio paled in comparison to what had happened in Westerville. 

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, tears finally escaping his eyes. He hated this. He hated Sebastian. He hated everything. 

He hated that Kurt wasn't the only person he'd kissed anymore. 

He allowed himself a couple of minutes to cry, just to let it all out. He knew that Quinn and Puck would ask what had taken so long, would be able to tell immediately that he'd been crying, but at the moment he didn't care. He just let everything go, let the pain in his heart come to the surface just for a few minutes. 

And when those few minutes were up he wiped away his tears, told himself to get it together, and forced himself to drive back to Lima.


	11. Chapter 11

Kurt arrived at Blaine's house a little after noon. He felt bad for skipping class, and his parents would probably be inviting him over for dinner as soon as they heard about it, but Blaine had texted him the previous night asking him to come over as soon as he could. He would have left earlier than he did but Sebastian had been practically stalking him and honestly he was a little worried that he would follow him to Lima. 

Sebastian had been weird the past couple of weeks. After their fight before Kurt and Blaine's first date he had kept his distance, managing to stay as far away from Kurt as possible (which was actually quite difficult, considering they had almost every class together _and_ they were roommates). However after two weeks of that Sebastian had tried talking to him again. He kept sneaking up on him and doing annoying things like hugging him from behind, kissing him on the cheek and practically begging Kurt to go to Scandal's with him. 

Kurt had ignored him. He didn't say anything if he could manage it, but when Sebastian got persistent he would just say he had plans with Blaine (which was normally true anyway) and walk away. If he didn't know any better he would think that Sebastian had a crush on him; but he did know better, and he knew that Sebastian still considered him his best friend and he didn't like his things being taken from him. 

It was like Sebastian knew he had plans though. He had followed him to breakfast, to first period and then, annoyingly, to second period as well. He kept trying to talk to him, saying things about how excited he was about the Warbler party that weekend and wasn't Kurt just _so_ excited to be going with his boyfriend? Kurt had gritted his teeth and pretended he didn't hear him. 

He finally managed to shake him when they were on their way to third period. He'd texted Sam during second period, begging him to distract Sebastian for just a couple of minutes between classes. It had taken some convincing (Sam had just recently gotten together with Jeff, and he was really embarrassed about his past with Sebastian) but he had finally agreed. Kurt texted him a quick thank you when Sebastian walked away from him, yelling that he would talk to him later. He'd then gotten to his car as quickly as possible and driven to Lima. 

However, standing in front of Blaine's house at 12am... He was starting to wonder if skipping had been such a good idea. Sure Blaine would definitely be home, but that meant that Blaine's _dad_ might be home. Blaine had mentioned once that his dad ran his own business, _Hummel Tires and Lube_ , but that some days he stayed home to help Blaine with his homework. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out instantly, thankful for the distraction. 

_Are you standing in front of my door? Or did your clone from the future finally track me down? -B_

Kurt snickered and went to answer when the front door opened in front of him. Blaine was standing in front of him, still wearing pyjamas, with a small, hesitant smile on his face. Kurt instantly kissed it away.

“Hey,” he said when they pulled apart, a hand still resting on the nape of Blaine's neck where his skin was warm. Blaine looked breathless, eyes wide, the smile completely wiped from his face.

“Hey yourself,” he spoke quietly, “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?”

Kurt bit his lip and then looked around, “Is your dad here?” Blaine shook his head, “Awesome. Are you going to let me in then? It's sort of cold out.”

Blaine stepped aside so that he was partially covered by the door. Kurt stepped into the house, shedding his coat as soon as he could. Blaine took it for him, hung it up in a closet and then turned to look at him, a small smile on his face.

“I'm still in my pyjamas.” he said, fiddling with the sleeves of his shirt. Kurt grinned before he stepped towards him and pulled him into a deep kiss. He heard Blaine's intake of breath, something that happened almost every time they kissed that he didn't think he'd ever be tired of. Smirking into the kiss he slipped his tongue past Blaine's lips to caress Blaine's for a few seconds before he ended the kiss, realizing that Blaine wasn't reciprocating. 

“You look great,” he assured, looking the younger boy over, wondering if something had happened. Blaine didn't seem to notice his curiosity.

“Thanks, but I still wish I had dressed up a bit more. If I had known you were coming this early...” he trailed off, a frown taking over his face, “Shouldn't you be in class right now?”  
“AP English,” he shrugged, “But I'm not. You said to come as soon as I could, so here I am.”

Blaine blushed, “I meant to come as soon as you could _after_ school. I don't want you to get in trouble, especially not for me.”

“You're worth it,” Kurt pecked him on the lips, “Now, tell me what's got you freaked. I didn't drive all this way for nothing,” he grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him towards Blaine's room in the basement. Blaine followed without an argument. When they reached his room Kurt instantly fell on the bed. Blaine glanced at him, took a step towards the bed as if he were going to join him but then shook his head minutely and sat down at his desk.

Kurt pouted a bit at that but didn't say anything. 

“Okay well...” Blaine crossed his legs on the chair. Kurt loved how adorable he looked. Not that he didn't always look adorable, but for some reason he looked especially adorable in his flannel pyjamas and bright pink slippers, “You already know that Quinn got kicked out of her house yesterday.”

Kurt nodded instantly, “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she's fine. Or as fine as someone in her situation can be. But, well... My dad went out later and Quinn sort of had a freak out because she had left her moisturizer at her house. Um... So I told her that I would go get the cream for her.”

Kurt's eyebrows shot up, “Oh my God, did you run into those assholes? Because I swear to God-”

“No!” Blaine shook his head instantly, “No, I drove out to Westerville to make sure I didn't see any of them. But... Well, um...” he shifted, obviously uncomfortable, “I ran into Sebastian.”

“Sebastian... As in Sebastian Smythe? My roommate Sebastian?” Blaine nodded, “What the fuck was he doing there?” Blaine went to respond but Kurt shook his head, “Nope. Condoms, forgot they sold those at pharmacies.”

Blaine started chewing on his bottom lip, “Yeah. He was... Um. Anyway. He came up to me and we... talked. For a while.”

Kurt stood up and took a cautious step towards him, “You talked? What the hell would that asshat have to say to you?” Blaine fidgeted in his chair, which sent off every alarm in Kurt's mind. He didn't like this. He didn't like it one bit. 

“Nothing, really. He was just-” he trailed off when Kurt closed the distance between them, kneeling down so that he was staring right into Blaine's eyes. He looked away, “He hit on me.”

Kurt stood up and headed towards the door, his hands already clenched in tight fists. He could not believe it. He couldn't believe that someone he had once considered his best friend would stoop so low. First he made Blaine cry, then he insulted Kurt and kissed him against his will right before his first date with Blaine, and now he was hitting on his boy- on Blaine? Enough was enough. 

A hand came to rest on his arm, immediately stopping him, “Please don't be mad,” Blaine whispered. He was staring up at him with wide, worried eyes. Kurt sighed and placed his arms around Blaine's shoulders, clasping his hands behind Blaine's neck. 

“I'm not mad at you,” he assured, attempting to calm himself down for Blaine's sake, “I swear, I'm not. I'm just- Where does he get off thinking he can treat you like shit and then show up out of the blue and-” he let out an exasperated yell. He noticed Blaine was avoiding his gaze, and ducked his head slightly, trying to catch Blaine's eyes. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge as Blaine seemed to want to do anything but that. Kurt licked his lips absentmindedly, “Did something else happen?”

Blaine's eyes met his as soon as he said it, wide and frightened, as if Kurt had asked him to murder his own father. Kurt's heart stuttered in his chest, “Not-” Blaine looked away, his cheeks turning pink, “Not really. He just... Some of the things he said...” he shook his head as Kurt stepped closer to him, tightening his arms around Blaine's neck. 

“What did he say?” he asked. Blaine shrugged, and Kurt briefly wondered if he was making Blaine uncomfortable with the way he was standing so close to him. Blaine had never been weird about physical contact before, but he knew that Sebastian had a bad habit of getting in the face of someone he was hitting on. He had seen it at Scandals way too often. 

“He- Nothing, never mind. I'm just being stupid.”

Kurt wanted to smack him, “You are _not_ being stupid,” Blaine blinked up at him, “Please just tell me? I swear, I'll stay right here, okay? I won't get mad.”

Blaine sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and shook his head, “Yes you will.”

“No, I swear, I won't.”

A deep sigh, “It's- He just- He told me that he was going to... to um...” he gave Kurt a desperate look, “He basically insinuated that he wanted to do... things... with me.”

“Blaine,” Kurt practically growled, “What did he say.”

“I don't really feel-”

Kurt wanted to scream, “Look, Blaine, I know Sebastian. There's no insinuating with him, alright? I know he was up front with you, and I really want to know what he said so that I know how badly to beat his face in.”

“You said you wouldn't be mad,” Blaine pleaded, his eyes watering slightly. Kurt felt some of his anger escape him at the sight, feeling horrible for being the one who made Blaine look like that.

“Okay,” he took a step back so that he was no longer touching Blaine, “This time I really won't get mad. But please, I need you to tell me exactly what he said,” he crouched down slightly, his hands going to Blaine's knees. Blaine looked away again.

“He-” Blaine cleared his throat, “He said he'd... um... he said he'd f-fuck my-” his voice cracked, “My t-tight virgin ass until I forgot a-about you.”

Kurt didn't realize he had tightened his grip on Blaine's knees until the boy placed his hands gently over his. Those words sounded so wrong coming from Blaine's mouth, completely foreign. He slackened his hold and took deep breaths. He told Blaine he wouldn't be mad, he promised Blaine he wouldn't be- “I'm going to rip his fucking throat out.”

“Kurt!” 

“I'm sorry, I know I said-” he shook his head, stood up and stepped in close to Blaine again, “You know it's him I'm mad at, right? I'm not mad at you at all.”

Blaine still looked close to tears, “I know. I just didn't tell you so that you'd beat him up,” he mumbled. Kurt sighed and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Blaine's lips. As every time that morning, they were unresponsive.

“What did you say to him?” Kurt whispered, pulling away, “when he said that to you, how did you respond?”

“I-” Blaine took a deep breath and then shrugged lamely, “I said that if anybody was going to do... What he said, that it was going to be you.” Kurt felt his heart soar at that, “And then I told him to leave me alone.”

Kurt could stop the smile that spread across his lips at that, and he also couldn't stop himself from leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Blaine pulled away as soon as he did, his eyes going to the corner of his room and a flush appearing on his cheeks. Kurt froze. “Something else happened,” he whispered, and he felt the hitch in Blaine's breath against his lips. He pulled away carefully.

“Wh-What? No, it-”

“You haven't been kissing me back,” Kurt said quietly, “Blaine, I need you to tell me what happened. I know you don't want me to kick Sebastian's ass, but whatever he did obviously really affected you,” he noticed Blaine swallowing thickly, “Please? I won't hurt him, I just... I need to know.”

Blaine watched him carefully before he lowered his eyes, his fingers basically tearing a hole into the hem of his shirt, “You won't want me anymore,” he spoke so quietly that Kurt almost didn't hear him. Kurt didn't want to assume the worst, he really didn't, but it was so hard with the way Blaine looked like he was going to cry. 

“Blaine. Blaine, look at me,” hesitantly, the boy did so, “I will always want you.”

It was like he had somehow broken Blaine. One second he had been staring up at Kurt, worry etched into his features, and the next he was clutching him close as soft sniffles escaped his lips. Kurt wrapped his arms around him without any hesitation. He hated that somehow, things always came back to Blaine crying; especially when Sebastian was involved. He hated that someone he used to consider his best friend had caused so much pain. 

“Honey,” he whispered, the pet name escaping his lips before he could even think about it, “I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me, okay? I mean, I'd love if you did, but if it's going to make you feel like shit then-”

Blaine looked up from where he'd pressed his face against Kurt's stomach, eyes wet and cheeks stained with tears, his lips parted slightly and whispered, “He kissed me.”

If it hadn't been for the crying boy clinging to him, Kurt would have already been half way to Dalton. As it was, he forced himself to be there for Blaine as the boy pressed himself as close to Kurt as he could, as if he were trying to disappear inside him. His hands fell down to Blaine's hair and he ran his fingers through them lightly, hoping the action would calm the boy down. 

“Blaine,” he whispered, worried of upsetting him further, “why would you think I wouldn't want you?”

Blaine looked up at him, large amber eyes full of tears. Kurt crouched down again and cupped Blaine's face with his hands. Blaine looked down, wet his lips, and sniffled a bit, rubbing his nose with the sleeve of his shirt, “I-I thought you liked that I'd never been with anyone. I don't know, I just-”

Kurt leaned forward and pressed a feather soft kiss to Blaine's forehead, “I think we need to have a serious discussion about your self esteem issues.”

“I don't...”

“You do. Come here,” he tangled his fingers with Blaine's and led him towards the bed. They fell on it together and Kurt shifted until he was on his side, facing Blaine, “Now, I need you to explain to me your reasoning for thinking that I wouldn't want you after an asshole kissed you against your will.”

Blaine shrugged, moving so that he was on his side facing Kurt as well, “I don't know. It was just a thought. It's stupid.”

Kurt shuffled closer to him, “That's what I'm talking about. You always say 'it's stupid' like I won't want to hear what you have to say. But I do, Blaine. When have I ever thought anything you've said is stupid?” Blaine avoided his gaze, his cheeks colouring. He didn't say anything, “Exactly.”

“Well, maybe you just never said it out loud...”

“Do you really think that's something I would keep from you? I'm always completely honest with you, and you know that because I've made you uncomfortable with my honesty on more than one occasion,” he counted it as a small victory that Blaine's lips twitched upwards at that, “It's really hard for me when you say things like that Blaine. Because I never know if you're feeling shitty about yourself or if you honestly think that I'm going to walk away because of something like that.”

Blaine shrugged, “I don't know. I mean, I trust you a lot. But I keep thinking, and I know you're so amazing and gorgeous and experienced and I'm just this stupid kid who has no idea what he's doing. I... It's not you, really.”

“I need you to promise me something,” Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand tightly, “I need you to promise that you'll stop using the word 'stupid' to describe yourself,” Blaine's brow furrowed, “I think it's something that you don't do on purpose, maybe it's because you see yourself that way, I don't know, but I don't want you to tell me that something you think is stupid, or something you're feeling is stupid or that anything you do is stupid. You're not stupid, you've never been stupid, and it hurts me when you talk about yourself like that.”

Blaine's eyes were watering with fresh tears and Kurt saw him swallow sharply, “I thought you wouldn't want me because if I were you I wouldn't want me,” he spoke the words quietly, barely a whisper, and Kurt wondered if Blaine even realized he had said anything.

“What do you mean?” he asked, just as quietly.

“You just seem so much older. You act so grown up, and you do grown up things like drink and smoke and have s-sex, and the only experience I have with that stuff was the one time that I _accidentally_ ate a special brownie. I just don't fit into your world, and the only thing I can see that would attract you to me is that I'm this untouched virgin; but now someone else touched me and-”

Kurt tightened his grip on Blaine's hand, “How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not with you because I want sex?” Blaine shrugged, “Okay, look, this isn't something that's just going to solve itself. We're going to keep talking about this, and I really want you to talk to your father about it too,” Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but Kurt silenced him, “I know you think that I'm really mature, but I'm not. I have no idea how to make you see yourself the way I see you. Which is why I want you to actually talk to an adult, alright?”

Blaine nodded slowly and tightened his grip on Kurt's hand, “There's one more thing,” he whispered. Kurt hummed, leaning forward to press his forehead to Blaine's, “Sebastian when... When I say that someone else has touched me I mean as in... He touched me.”

Kurt inhaled sharply through his nose, “Where?”

“Just my butt,” Blaine said quietly, “And he pressed himself against me so that I could feel his... You know,” he leaned in closer to Kurt, “Are you mad?”

“Am I mad?” he tried to keep the anger out of his voice, but judging by Blaine's wince it didn't work, “Blaine, I'm very mad. But not at you, I'm mad at him. He just doesn't understand what-” he let out a low growl. Blaine glanced up so that he was staring into Kurt's eyes. Kurt sighed and brought the hand not laced with Blaine's up to the smaller boys cheek, “I'm so sorry he did that.”

Blaine bit his lip and then quietly said, “I wish it had been you.”

Kurt's eyebrows flew up, “You wish I had sexually harassed you at a public pharmacy?” Blaine giggled softly, and the sound was like music to Kurt's ears. 

“No. I wish... I wish you were the first guy to touch my butt. And to press up against me,” he blushed as he spoke, “I guess now I understand why you felt so dirty when he kissed you before our date.”

Kurt rubbed soft circles into Blaine's skin, “You're not dirty. He's dirty for not knowing where lines are until he crosses them,” he sighed and then said quietly, “Look, I know you don't want me to, so I swear I won't beat him up,” Blaine smiled up at him, “but I will be having stern words with him. Does that sound okay?” Blaine nodded, “And promise me you'll talk to your dad? I just hate that you feel so bad about yourself.”

Blaine pursed his lips and then shrugged, “I got you, didn't I? There's must be something about me that managed that.”

“Yeah. _You_ ,” he leaned forward, going to kiss Blaine, but stopped only centimetres away from his lips, “Can I kiss you?” he asked softly, remembering how Blaine had reacted to his kisses earlier in the day. Blaine looked between Kurt's eyes and then nodded cautiously. Slowly, Kurt closed the distance between them, and this time when his lips pressed to Blaine's the boy responded in kind, moving his lips gently against Kurt's. 

When they separated, he asked quietly, “How long am I allowed to stay here?”

“As long as you'd like,” Blaine replied. Kurt nodded and went in for another kiss.

**

Kurt spent the rest of the day curled up with Blaine in the smaller boys bed, whispering the things he liked about him in his ear as often as he could and trading soft, lazy kisses. At one very memorable point Blaine had taken his hand and brought it down to his ass, saying that he didn't want Sebastian to be the last person to have touched him that way. Kurt wanted to protest, but Blaine had thrust his tongue into his mouth, and his hand had squeezed on muscle memory, and the feel of Blaine Hummel's ass under his hand had been so unbelievable that he'd kept his hand there for at least an hour. 

That had been how Quinn and Puck found them, kissing softly while Kurt's hands (he'd moved the second one to join the first after the first ten minutes of making out) massaged Blaine's ass. Puck had smirked, Quinn had looked scandalized, and Kurt had left the three alone to talk for a few seconds. 

His phone buzzed during that time, and when he pulled it out he saw it was a text from Chandler. He hadn't heard from him for a long time, and he rolled his eyes slightly when he read the message.

_I know you're probably busy having sex with that Hummel guy Smythe's been bitching about, but if you can take your dick out of his ass for ten seconds to confirm that you're coming to my party this weekend, that would be great. -C_

Kurt wanted to tell Chandler to stuff it, but he really did want to go to the party and he figured that if he said anything rude he'd probably get uninvited. He texted back a simple _Will Sebastian be there?_ and then went back to trying not to eavesdrop as Blaine talked to Puck and Quinn in his room. 

Chandler texted back with _Of course, there's gonna be booze_. Kurt sighed. Again, he really wanted to go to the party, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stand Sebastian for longer than he needed to. Besides, he was sort of worried as to what Chandler would say and/or try with him. He tapped his phone against his lips and then thought _screw it_ and texted back _I'll be there, just give me the time._

The door opened, and Kurt slipped his phone into his pocket, smiling when he saw Blaine standing in the doorway, “Sorry,” he mumbled, “They thought you were corrupting me.”

Kurt snorted, “The pregnant couple thinks I'm corrupting you?” Blaine blushed and shrugged, giving Kurt a small smile. 

“Do you want to formally meet them? I know you've already met Puck but...” Blaine widened his eyes, fluttered his eyelashes, gave Kurt the widest smile he'd ever seen, and how the hell was he supposed to say no to that?

“Absolutely.”

**

It turned out that Puck and Quinn were two sides of the same coin. Both obviously cared about Blaine very deeply, but the way they showed it was completely different. As soon as he'd stepped foot into the room Quinn had threatened him with bodily harm if he ever hurt Blaine or moved too fast. Puck had smirked, shook his hand and then pulled him close and whispered, “Get it,” in his ear. Blaine had blushed at their antics and tried to shoo them out of the room, but Kurt assured him that it was fine. 

He spent the rest of the day at Blaine's house with the three friends, watching movies and explaining to Puck (many times) that no, not every boy that attended Dalton was gay and that no, they didn't have orgies every other weekend. 

By the time that 9:30pm rolled around, Kurt felt as if he'd been a part of the trio forever. He'd never met anybody as mismatched as they seemed to be, but somehow they worked together. They were constantly talking, and the only awkward moment was when Puck mentioned something that David Karofsky had said and Blaine excused himself to go to the bathroom. Other than that though it was a perfect evening. 

Eventually though, Kurt had to leave. When he announced that to the others he received a pout from Blaine, a bro-fist from Puck and a tight hug from Quinn. After he had said his goodbyes to his two new friends he glanced at Blaine and nodded his head towards the door. Blaine smiled widely and loudly said that he would walk Kurt to his car. Puck and Quinn snickered at that, and Puck yelled something about condoms as they left the house. 

As soon as they were out of Puck and Quinn's sight, Blaine sighed loudly, “I swear those two...”

The comment made Kurt grin and he bumped shoulders with Blaine playfully, “What? They're great! I can understand why you're such good friends with them.” 

“I wonder about that sometimes,” Blaine rolled his eyes, and then opened the front door for Kurt. The action made Kurt feel warmth spread from his face to his toes and he winked at Blaine as he walked by, just to make the boy blush. It worked. 

“Well, personally I think it's amazing that you have such good friends.” He replied, slipping his arm around Blaine's waist as they made their way to Kurt's car, “You guys are like siblings.”

Blaine snorted, “That would be a bit awkward, wouldn't it, with the whole pregnancy issue.”

“Smartass.” Kurt pulled him closer, leaning his head against Blaine's. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the car, Kurt listening to the smaller boy's breathing and feeling his heart beating. Being at Blaine's side, simply holding him close, it made Kurt feel like he'd never felt before. He couldn't quite identify the feeling yet, but it completely overwhelmed him. 

When they reached his car, Kurt pulled Blaine close to him and hugged him tightly. Blaine immediately responded, wrapping his arms around Kurt as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 

Maybe it was.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Blaine asked quietly, his voice muffled by Kurt's shoulder. Kurt bit his lip and briefly considered telling Blaine that he had no plans, and then texting Chandler to cancel. In the end he decided not to; Chandler had been avoiding him at school and he really needed an excuse to talk to the boy. They needed to have a conversation that was long overdue. 

“Warbler party,” he replied, taking a small step back so that he could look into Blaine's face while keeping his arms around him. Blaine pouted, which made Kurt want coo and give Blaine anything he wanted at the same time. The boy was just too cute, “I promised I'd go. I'm sorry.”

Blaine sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and then asked, “Who's all going to be there?”

After a mental calculation, Kurt said, “Basically all the Warblers, plus Sam – he's dating Jeff, I think I've mentioned them before – and of course Chandler will be there. But other then that...”

“Chandler will be there?” Kurt frowned, tightening his hold on Blaine. 

“Yes. It's at his house.”

His lip back in his mouth (and really, that's not where it belonged, it belonged in _Kurt's_ mouth), Blaine stared up at Kurt for a few seconds before he released his lip and then asked quietly, “Can I come?”

Kurt could see the wheels turning in Blaine's head, and he wasn't entirely sure that he was liking the result, “I don't think that's a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Because, you just got assaulted by Sebastian, who will, by the way, be there.”

Blaine huffed slightly and took a step back so that he was out of Kurt's arms, “Won't it be good for me though? To see him and confront him, for him to see us together and see that it doesn't matter what he does he's not getting in between us?”

Kurt stepped towards him and cupped his face in his hands gently, “Yes, those are all fantastic ideas. But Blaine, the party is this weekend. Literally three days away.” Blaine raised an eyebrow. 

“So?”

“ _So_ I think that maybe you should give it a bit more time. I mean... You were sort of shook up about it earlier.”

Blaine sighed loudly, “But that's why I want to go, see? Weren't you saying that I have self-esteem issues?” Hesitantly, Kurt nodded, “Well, this is my way of dealing with them. Take me to the party.”

This was a bad idea. Kurt knew this was a bad idea. Absolutely, one hundred percent, was completely aware of the fact that this was a horrible idea. 

“Fine,” he said, “but you're not allowed out of my sight for the entirety of it. And if Sebastian tries _anything_ I reserve the rights to beat the shit out of him.”

Blaine smiled widely, “Deal,” and then he threw himself at Kurt, crashing their lips together in a wonderful, completely bittersweet kiss. Kurt sighed internally and then kissed back, unable to do anything else.


	12. Chapter 12

Chandler Kiehl's house was at least three times bigger than any house Blaine had ever been to. At least seven times bigger than his own house. He already felt out of place just looking at it. 

"We can go," Kurt spoke quietly from the passenger seat, turning his body slightly to face Blaine, "I know I said I really wanted to come, but if it's going to make you uncomfortable we can leave. You being uncomfortable is the last thing I want."

Blaine swallowed thickly, and shook his head. He forced himself to look away from the giant house and back towards Kurt, forcing a smile, "No." He rested his hand over Kurt's on the gear shift, "I told you I was okay to come here, and I am. It's just a large house, that's all."

Kurt shook his head and chuckled, "You should see mine." With that he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. Blaine followed suit, feeling already smaller than he normally did as he stared at the daunting building in front of him. Kurt came around the side of the car and slipped his hand into Blaine's, squeezing tightly in reassurance. 

The problem was that Blaine wasn't reassured at all, because he honestly had no idea what he was doing here in the first place. Initially it had seemed like a good idea, impulsive though it was, but now he realized that his decision to accompany Kurt was nothing more than an act of desperation. As soon as he had heard that the party would be held at Chandler's house it was like a switch turned off and suddenly everything that Kurt had told him was forgotten. 

It was stupid and he knew it. But for some reason he felt that it Kurt attended this party alone that Blaine would lose him. Which, really, Blaine had nothing to lose. Kurt wasn't his. They weren't official. It wasn't like he had some sort of claim over Kurt. But Sebastian's words just kept running through his head, as if they were on loop, telling him that Kurt was going to get tired of his stupid little virgin act and find someone else. And hadn't he always gone running to Chandler when things got bad? 

The sound of loud music broke him from his reverie and he forced himself to focus on the now. He noticed that they had made it to the front of the house and were now waiting for somebody to open the door for them. Kurt squeezed his hand again and pulled him in closer, his lips brushing Blaine's ear lightly as he whispered, "Don't go anywhere without me, alright? I need you near me at all times."

Blaine nodded but didn't respond, his heart beating wildly as the door was pulled open by a boy with dark brown hair that was around his height. His eyes were glossy and he had a large smile on his face that only widened when he saw who it was. 

"Kurt!" he swayed slightly, "Oh my God, thought you were never gonna come." he snorted and then started laughing to himself. Kurt sighed and turned towards Blaine.

"We're a bit late, so don't be surprised if most of them are... well," he pointed towards the boy still holding the door open, leaning on it slightly as he laughed. 

Blaine watched, amused, as Kurt snapped his fingers in front of the boy's face and yelled, "Nicholas!" until the boy calmed down, mumbling, "Come. That's funny," as he shook his head. Blaine smiled, his problems momentarily forgotten, as Kurt shook the boy slightly before turning towards Blaine, "Blaine, this is Nick."

Instantly Nick seemed to forget what was so funny because he was on Blaine, grabbing him by the front of his sweater and pulling him close, "Oh my God, is this the new boy toy?" Blaine flinched slightly, both at the other boy's proximity and at the name he had called him by. Was that what Kurt called him with his friends? "Where did you find him?"

Kurt quickly pried Nick away, "I didn't find him, dumbass. He found me."

If it wasn't for the snort that came from Nick, along with a loud, "Gross," Blaine would have probably melted right then and there. 

"Hey, Kurt, when you're done with him, do you think I could borrow him for like, twenty minutes?" Blaine glanced at the boy, shying away from him when he noticed the predatory glint in his eyes, "Seb was right, he's got killer BJ lips."

Kurt bristled at the mention of Sebastian and pulled Blaine close to him, "First of all Nick, you're straight," the boy shrugged at that, "Second, if Sebastian ever talks about Blaine around you - or anyone else - ever again, I swear to God I will bash his face in. Make sure he knows that."

Nick's hands went up in front of his face, "Whoa, man, calm down. Don't shoot the messenger. Just saying, honey," he turned to Blaine at this, "If you ever want a real man." He pointed to himself, winked, and then sauntered away, leaving the door wide open. 

Blaine's heart was beating fast and his face was bright red. He simply stared at where the boy had been, trying to figure out what had just happened. 

"God, please ignore him," Kurt was suddenly in front of him, both his hands enveloped in Kurt's, "He gets stupid when he's drunk. I swear to God I haven't been telling the guys that we're sleeping together," Blaine's eyes widened. How was it that Kurt always knew what he was thinking? "Really, if you meet him when he's not- well, it might not be much better, but at least he'll have a bit of a filter."

With that, Kurt turned and began to lead Blaine into the house where the party was obviously in full swing. Blaine wondered if all of Kurt's friends were like Nick: overly sexual and with a lack of brain to mouth filter, because if they were then Blaine would probably end up locking himself in a bathroom for the rest of the night. 

Coming to this party had really been a stupid idea. 

**

When they entered the living room, Blaine was surprised to find that even though there were quite a large number of girls in attendance, the game of spin the bottle that was occurring in the middle of the floor consisted entirely of boys. Actually, a very large portion of the girls were sitting near the boys who were playing, some of them giggling and leaning towards whoever had just done some kissing and whispering in their ears. 

Much to Blaine's dismay, Kurt decided that that was their first stop and he dragged Blaine towards them. Blaine watched as a boy with short cropped dark hair and another with light brown hair began making out intensely as the rest of the group cheered. He could already feel his cheeks heating up, and he had to grip Kurt's hand extremely tightly in an effort to tell him that there was no way he was joining this game. Kurt glanced at him and smiled, squeezing his hand in assurance. 

"Guys," the entire game stopped, the two brunets separating. One of them looked incredibly embarrassed while the other seemed almost proud. Blaine took a step closer to Kurt, "I have someone I want you to meet."

Every eye suddenly fell on Blaine, and all he wanted to do was hide himself behind Kurt like a two year old clinging to his mother's leg. Someone whistled lowly. Several of the girls giggled. Kurt squeezed his hand again. 

The smaller of the brunet's that had been making out pointed at him and smiled, "You're Blaine, right?" he asked, his voice slightly slurred. Blaine nodded hesitantly while Kurt tutted. "Dude, you're literally all anyone talks about nowadays. Kurt's always gushing, Sebastian's always bitching-"

Kurt kicked the boy, "And I think you've had enough." He turned to Blaine and whispered, "Thad only swears when he drinks. We used to get him drunk on purpose just to hear him say 'fuck' because it sounded so weird." Despite the circumstances, Blaine couldn't help but chuckle lightly as Kurt's mouth hovered right over his ear. There was another whistle. 

"So yes, as you have all guessed, this is Blaine," he gestured to him, and then he gestured to the rest of the boys, "Blaine, these are Thad, Jeff, Trent, Hunter, Sam, John, Matthew and Lucas. All Warblers, except Sam who refuses to join for... personal reasons."

Blaine hummed, entirely aware of what Sam's personal reasons were. "It's very nice to meet you all."

"He's so cute," one of the girls giggled. 

"The one who tamed the best," one of the blond's (Jeff, he was pretty sure), "I commend you man. Lord know how many have tried," he shook his head and sighed wistfully. Kurt cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing towards Blaine with a slight blush on his cheeks. Blaine frowned, his heart skipping a beat. 

"Yes, well. We're going to get something to drink. You guys keep doing," he waved his hand around, "whatever it was you were doing."

The second of the brunet's that had been making out - Hunter, he thought - grinned and reached towards Thad, but another boy - Trent, maybe? - reached out and stopped him, muttering about their turn being over. Hunter pouted and the boy beside him spun the bottle. Blaine decided it was time to follow Kurt to the drink table. 

When he caught up to Kurt it was to find the boy with two cups already in hand. He handed one over to Blaine who eyed it wearily before Kurt chuckled and assured him it wasn't alcoholic. Blaine took a cautious sip and then smiled when he realized it was just regular Coke. Kurt rolled his eyes and leaned against the table, pulling Blaine close to him by placing a hand around his waist. Blaine allowed himself to go, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder when he got close enough. Kurt pressed a soft kiss to his hair. 

"Do you want to stay here for a while? Or do you want to go find other people." Blaine shrugged. Kurt chuckled and Blaine felt his throat move as he drank his own drink. "You still haven't met Wes and David, they're pretty great."

Blaine looked down at his feet and asked quietly, but still loud enough to be heard over the loud music playing, "What about Chandler?"

He felt Kurt stiffen underneath him, so he stood up straighter, moving slightly so that he could look at Kurt's face. He reached forward and tangled their fingers together, trying to reassure Kurt. Or himself. He wasn't quite sure. 

"I really would prefer if you and Chandler didn't interact at all," Kurt spoke as quietly as Blaine had. Blaine frowned, and glanced down at their intertwined hands. He loved the contrast of Kurt's pale skin and his own tan skin. 

"We're sort of at his house," he shrugged, attempting a smile, "I think it might be difficult to avoid any interaction." He bit his lip and moved his eyes down to their feet, "Same with Sebastian. He's here, right?"

Kurt groaned and Blaine heard him place his cup down on the table, "I know this wasn't a good idea." Blaine instantly looked up and into Kurt's face, finding him shaking his head and frowning, "Yes, Sebastian's here. And yes, this is Chandler's house. I just really don't want you anywhere near those two. They're... They're trouble." He pulled Blaine closer, "I don't want them to say anything to you."

Blaine huffed, "I can handle myself, Kurt."

"I know, baby," Kurt sighed, leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Blaine's lips, "But Sebastian's fucked with you enough. And Chandler is just... God, Chandler's just Chandler and I really don't want you two to ever become acquainted with each other. He's... I don't even know."

The truth was that deep down Blaine had absolutely no interest in seeing neither Sebastian nor Chandler. But he had come to this party for a reason, and that reason was showing Kurt that he wasn't some weakling who thought nothing of himself. He needed to prove to Kurt that he was strong. He needed to show Kurt that he deserved to be at his side. 

"Alright," he said, forcing a smile, "Why don't you introduce me to the rest of your friends?"

Kurt bit his lip and nodded placing his cup back on the table. Blaine followed suit and then allowed Kurt to drag him out of the large living room. They walked through a completely empty hallway, their fingers linked, and Blaine began to think that maybe avoiding Chandler and Sebastian wouldn't be as difficult as he thought. It was, after all, a very large house. And there didn't seem to be that many people here. 

They reached an incredibly regal looking staircase and Kurt tugged him up it. A part of Blaine hated that Kurt knew this house so well, but he didn't say anything. That was the past. Kurt had assured him time and time again that he had no interest in Chandler or any guy other than him anymore. 

Maybe Blaine did have self esteem issues because the first thing that popped in his head was Sebastian telling him that Kurt had probably been "fucking around" since Blaine wouldn't give it up. It bothered him that he remembered that, of all things, because he had never thought that until Sebastian had planted the seed of doubt in his head. And then Kurt had started talking about his self esteem issues and...

No. He wouldn't let himself think like this. The point was to prove to Kurt that he wasn't pathetic, or weak. The point was not to become weaker. 

"Well, well, well," the voice made him stop in his tracks. Kurt's hand tightened almost painfully in his own, and Blaine would have let go if he didn't feel as if he would tumble down the stairs without Kurt grounding him. Both boys turned around slowly as Sebastian spoke from the bottom of the stairs, "Chandler said that you'd be bringing your little hand holding buddy, but I didn't believe him." Sebastian took a couple of steps up the stairs, "This doesn't exactly seem like your scene Blainers."

"How would you even know what Blaine's scene is? For all you know he could be going to crazier parties every weekend." Kurt spat. Blaine shut his eyes tightly for a second in an attempt to control his emotions. 

Sebastian chuckled, "I think we all know that's not true." Blaine opened his eyes and found Sebastian standing right in front of him, "Now this looks familiar, doesn't it?"

Within seconds Kurt had pulled Blaine up the last few steps and was shielding him with his body. "I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from him." Kurt hissed the words, his hand grasping Blaine's wrist tightly. Blaine tried to pry his fingers off with little success. 

"Yeah, see, I'm not really one to listen to what other people say. You should know that, Kurt. We are best friends, after all," the smile on Sebastian's face made Blaine want to throw up. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to think of a smile as something good ever again. 

"You're nothing to me," Kurt spat. 

Sebastian mocked looking offended and began wagging his finger in Kurt's face. "Now that's no way to talk to your friends, Kurt. Besides, you're not even letting him get a word in," he nodded towards Blaine, who swallowed thickly, "I mean, I see a lot of bravado right now, but Blaine didn't exactly complain when I laid one on him the other day." Sebastian reached a hand out towards Blaine's face, a hand that Kurt quickly batted away.

The only word to describe the sound that came out of Kurt's mouth was _growl_ , "Don't fucking touch him."

Sebastian leered, "What, didn't lover boy tell you?" he leaned in closely, "I already have."

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist to stop him from lunging at the taller boy. Still, Kurt managed to reach his hand far enough to scratch Sebastian across his left cheek, leaving angry red marks where his nails had been. Blaine took several steps back when he saw the murderous look that crossed Sebastian's face. As the boy finished climbing the stairs, Blaine quickly moved so that he was standing in front of Kurt and put both hands on his face. 

"Kurt? Please, I need you to calm down. Remember when I told you? You said you wouldn't be mad. Please Kurt, you need to-"

"Yeah, listen to your girlfriend, Kurt." Sebastian sneered, slowly coming closer. Blaine felt his heart drop into his stomach. He froze, his hands on Kurt's face, but everything else seemed to fade away. "Oh, hit a nerve, have I?"

Kurt's jaw tensed under Blaine's fingers, "Blaine, you need to get out of the way so that I can kill this son of a bitch."

Blaine couldn't move. He felt a hand on his upper arm, strong and warm and completely wrong, "Yes, Blaine, please get out of the way. Let us men settle things by ourselves."

"I told you not to fucking touch him!" Kurt reached his hands out beyond Blaine, who finally managed to move just in time to place his hands on Kurt's chest and push him away from Sebastian. He tried to make eye contact with Kurt, but the teen didn't seem to have eyes for anybody except for Sebastian. 

Tired of simply standing there, Blaine grabbed Kurt's face again and pulled him into a deep kiss. Kurt continued to be tense for a few seconds but slowly relaxed against Blaine's mouth. When he felt he was calm enough, Blaine separated with a soft, "Please let me handle this," before he turned around to face Sebastian. The boy looked like he wanted to punch something. 

"Sebastian," Blaine spoke, his voice as steady as he could make it, "I would very much appreciate it if you left Kurt and I alone."

The taller boy looked him over, a smirk slowly forming on his face. "You're so damn naive Blaine," he purred. His voice sent chills down Blaine's spine, but not in the way that Kurt's seductive voice did. "I think you should get out of the way so that Kurt and I can finish this once and for all. And when we're done, then maybe you and I can go get our mack on in one of the guest rooms. Or, better yet," Sebastian's eyes flickered towards Kurt, "Maybe we can get our mack on in Chandler's bedroom. You're familiar with Chandler's bedroom, aren't you, Kurt? You could give us directions."

"You asshole," Kurt spoke quietly, and Blaine was sure that he would have attacked again if Blaine hadn't put a hand on his chest to stop him. He then turned towards Sebastian. 

"I don't exactly know what you're trying to accomplish," despite his best efforts, his voice was barely above a whisper, "But I am actually entirely aware of Kurt's history with Chandler and... Others. So if you're trying to upset me with that, I can assure you it won't work." 

Sebastian's eyes went from him to Kurt, his mouth tilting upwards, "I see. So, you know that Kurt likes to fuck around, that he has serious commitment issues, and that he doesn't believe in love. But you still want to go out with him?" he took a step closer to Blaine, "I think we both know that I would be the smarter choice for you, don't you?"

"What would you offer him, huh Sebastian?" Kurt's voice had escalated, "You're acting like you're any better than me, but you're not. You're exactly the same. You fuck around, and you hate relationships. You don't believe in love any more than I do. So what exactly would you have to offer Blaine that I couldn't give him?"

With a shrug, Sebastian leaned against the wall, "A better fuck. Not that he'd know the difference."

Blaine could feel his heart beating in his ears. He felt like he was suddenly watching from the outside, as if this were someone else's life and not his. He wanted to scream, to make them listen, to make them _stop_. "Sebastian," once again, he tried to speak assertively but failed miserably, "I already told you that I like Kurt. I don't know why you would even want to go out with me, but it's not going to happen. So please just... Leave us alone."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes towards him, glanced at Kurt for a brief seconds before smirking, "Fine. It's your loss. But hey, just so you know, I won't toss you aside like yesterdays trash after I fuck you." He looked back towards Kurt and then shook his head lightly, "Just keep that in mind."

And just like that he was gone. Kurt was breathing heavily behind him, and Blaine turned around so that he didn't have to watch Sebastian leave. His stomach was in knots, and he wanted to forget everything Sebastian had ever said to him, from the idea of Kurt only being with him for sex to the idea of Kurt sleeping with other people while he was with Blaine to the new doubt that as soon as Kurt sleeps with him he'll be tossed aside like garbage which in a way related to the first idea that Kurt was only with him for sex. 

None of it made sense, none of it fit with the Kurt he knew, and yet no matter what he told himself it all stuck. 

"You should have let me kill him."

"Stop that," Blaine said quietly, "Don't even say that."

Kurt groaned, "He just... _God_ I don't even know what his problem is. I don't get why he suddenly turned into such a dick, and I don't know why he has to be such a dick to _you_."

Blaine shrugged. He didn't have an answer for that question, "You just can't let him get to you, okay? He's just doing it to annoy you, all he wants is to get a rise out of you."

"No, all he wants is to steal you away." A shiver ran down Blaine's spine at how possessive Kurt sounded at that moment, "But he can't. I won't let him." And at that he pulled Blaine into a deep kiss, instantly pushing his tongue into Blaine's mouth. Blaine moaned in surprise but quickly kissed back. After all, wasn't this just Kurt proving that he wanted to be with Blaine? Not because he wanted sex, not because he thought it was cute to string Blaine along but because he wanted to be with _Blaine_. 

For a few seconds he let himself believe it. 

**

Blaine spent most of the evening as close to Kurt as possible. After making out for a bit in the hallway, Kurt had taken Blaine's hand and attempted to introduce him to his friends Wes and David. Blaine never actually got to meet either of the boys seeing as both were otherwise preoccupied with female company, but Kurt told him a couple of things about the leaders of the Warblers and Blaine figured that they were probably nice guys. 

They then made their way back down to the living room which seemed to be housing at least twice as many people as it had when they had left. Kurt had whispered, "You might want to steer clear of the people I didn't introduce you to. They were just downstairs smoking pot and will probably say or do something stupid." into his ear and then led him back towards the drink table. 

Sebastian seemed to drift in and out of the room, at one point leaving with a rather small blond with huge glasses. Kurt had muttered about them 'being up to no good' but when Blaine had asked what that meant Kurt had waved him off and pulled him towards an empty spot of the room to dance. Blaine glanced around and saw that there were actually several couples dancing as well and that the game of spin the bottle had broken up. 

He wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck and held the other boy close, trying to block out any thoughts that entered his thoughts. The problem was that being in this environment, in this house, surrounded by Kurt's friends was like adding fuel to the fire of Blaine's doubt. Every time he saw the blond that Kurt had introduced as Jeff he thought about the comment he had made earlier about attempting to 'tame' Kurt, how Kurt had quickly change the subject and what exactly that could possibly mean. Had Kurt slept with that boy too? 

There was also the added fact of not knowing who exactly Chandler was. He was becoming paranoid, constantly looking over his shoulder whenever he felt as if someone was watching him (which was apparently all the time. When he mentioned it to Kurt the other boy had simply said that it was because they were jealous that he was with Kurt, but Blaine didn't buy that answer) and wondering if the guy he had caught staring was Chandler. By the third song that he and Kurt danced to he was pretty sure that he was going crazy. 

"Hey, you okay?" Kurt asked quietly. Blaine pulled back a bit so that they were looking into each others eyes. He forced a smile. 

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kurt shrugged, placing his hands on Blaine's back and tugging him closer, "I don't know. I'm just hoping you're not still mulling over those things that Sebastian said." Sometimes Blaine had to wonder how it was that Kurt knew him so well. He shook his head, both for his own sake and for Kurt's. Besides, it wasn't like Blaine was actually thinking about Sebastian at that moment. He was more concerned with wondering who Chandler was and how many of the guys in the room Kurt had slept with. 

"Not at all," he said, trying to smile. He wasn't sure why he did it seeing as Kurt couldn't even see his face due to their dancing position. However, Blaine could see some things and he noticed Sebastian walking back into the room, the blond in tow. "I'm just really glad to be here with you, is all." 

For some reason Blaine couldn't keep his eyes off the tiny boy who was talking to Sebastian animatedly. There was just something about the way he was standing, slightly hunched over, and the way he moved his hands ridiculously fast as he talked that just didn't sit right with Blaine. And when he glanced towards them and locked eyes with Blaine... Yes, something was definitely off about that boy. 

And Blaine would bet any money that he had finally found Chandler. 

"Hey, Kurt? Can you go get me some water? I'm sort of thirsty."

Kurt raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes towards him. Blaine forced himself to look into Kurt's eye and not to stray his glance towards Sebastian and the blond. Slowly, Kurt nodded, "But you stay right here, okay?"

He wasn't exactly sure why he had done it, and as Kurt walked away he instantly regretted having put himself in the position of being alone in a room full of people he didn't know, half of whom kept staring at him as if he had a third eye. He looked around the room, tugging gently on the sleeve of his sweater and rocking back and forth on his heels. Why exactly had he sent Kurt away again? Did he have some sort of death wish?

Apparently so, because literally ten seconds after Kurt disappeared into the crowd he found himself face to face with the blond who had been talking to Sebastian. The boy smiled at him, wide and fake, and Blaine attempted to return the smile but found that he couldn't. 

"You're Blaine, right?" he asked. Blaine nodded. 

"And you're Chandler." It wasn't a question. He already knew the answer before the smaller boy nodded. Blaine coughed slightly awkwardly and yet again wondered why he had done something so stupid. According to Kurt this boy was crazy. _Psycho_ was the word that Kurt used a lot when ranting about him. The boy whom Kurt had been yelling over the phone at the first time he and Blaine met. The boy that Blaine knew was completely in love with Kurt. The boy that Kurt had insisted time and time again meant nothing to him. 

"Has Kurt told you about me?" his eyelashes fluttered flirtatiously, "Surprising really. Sometimes I wonder if he even remembers I exist when he's not pounding me into the mattress." He pushed his lower lip into a fake pout. Blaine stood up straighter. 

"What do you want?" he asked. 

Chandler's pout disappeared, and his eyes became serious. "Skipping formalities. Alright then, I'll get right to the point." He took several steps towards Blaine until he was standing right in front of him, "You need to back off Kurt."

"Wh-what?"

"I think you heard me," he sneered. At Blaine's confused look he added, "Look, this isn't me being some crazy ex or whatever, okay? This is me trying to be a decent human being." Chandler brought his hands up to his chest looking way too innocent. Blaine would have snorted in disbelief if his heart wasn't beating so freaking fast in his chest. 

"He said you never dated."

Chandler clucked his tongue, "That's technically true. But hey, from what I hear you two aren't dating either."

He had him there, "L-Look, I'm really sorry that Kurt hurt you. But he and I... We're different."

"You're so polite," there was a glint in Chandler's eyes that Blaine didn't like at all, "God, I bet that drives Kurt crazy. Are you that polite in bed, Hummel? Do you ask him to kindly let you suck his cock?"

A dark flush came over Blaine's face, "What? N-No. Kurt and I haven't- We don't-"

Chandler looked like Christmas had just come early, "So the rumors are true," he gave Blaine a feral grin that looked incredibly out of place on his boyish face, "Kurt is dating a virgin. Damn, I knew there was a reason he'd kept you around for so long." He looked Blaine up and down for a second, "Although I guess I can see the appeal. You're pretty hot in an Innocent Schoolboy way."

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest, trying to make himself smaller, "What do you want Chandler?"

"You know, I'm kind of offended that you even have to ask me that. I told you, I'm just trying to be a decent human being." He sniffed haughtily, "Kurt and I have history, remember? I know how he works. I'm just trying to save you unnecessary heart break."

"I think I'll take my chances." 

A smirk took over Chandler's face. He looked like the cat that got the cream, "Oh, not so polite anymore, huh? Alright, I'll play along." Delicately, he brought his hand to Blaine's wrist and wrapped it around the bone. Then he pulled Blaine down to his level. Hard. "Kurt Anderson is an asshole. He's a selfish, self-serving dick who only thinks with his dick, and a sweet, naive virgin like yourself is his ideal prey." His fingers tightened, "I'm telling you this because I was you once. Sweet and innocent. I believed in love too, you know. I believed that Kurt could love me. You believe that, don't you? That Kurt could love you?"

When Blaine didn't answer, Chandler continued, "He can't. It's not how he was made. He's... Sex. That's the only thing he wants, and that's the only thing that will keep him in your arms. Or, I guess in your case, withholding sex. But trust me sweetcheeks," Chandler grinned and Blaine's throat suddenly became dry, "That's not going to last forever. And once you give it up, well. My guess is he'll have found his next conquest before he even has time to say goodbye."

Blaine's head was spinning, and nothing made sense. Nothing other than Kurt and their time together and the fact that he wasn't about to let yet another person walk all over him. Wasn't he supposed to be proving to Kurt that he wasn't weak? That he wasn't pathetic? "He sounds like a really nasty guy."

"He is. Total douchebag." Chandler's grip was unrelenting. 

"I wonder then, if he's such a jerk, why you're trying to get him so badly." He felt a spark of pride at the way that Chandler's face paled, "I know all about your history with Kurt. I know how badly he hurt you and how you just kept coming back for more. And you know what? I know that he feels bad about it. Or, I guess he would, if you weren't such a _bitch_."

Chandler gaped, "Excuse me-"

Suddenly, it was like the world felt lighter, "No, _you_ excuse _me._ Because all I've been trying to do tonight is have a good time with the boy who could very possibly be my boyfriend in the near future. And I'm sort of tired of Kurt's ex-booty calls walking all over me." He pulled his wrist closer to himself, bringing Chandler with him "You know what I think, Chandler? I think that you're bitter. You're bitter that Kurt chose me over you when he's known you forever and only known me for a couple of months. I think it pisses you off that I've managed to hold on to Kurt this long without putting out, because that's the only thing you had to offer him."

"Wow, good for you, you found your voice. But you said it honey, I've known him forever. I already told you, I know how he works. I give it three weeks before he's thrown you out like yesterday's trash. Just you wait." Chandler squeezed his wrist a bit tighter, "You know, I can see right through you. And you believe every word I just told you, just like you believe everything Sebastian's told you. What, have you gotten fed up of people telling you the truth? That you're nothing but Kurt's newest boy toy and that once you put out he's going to forget all about you? Are you okay with knowing that Kurt doesn't know how to commit to one person and that he's probably been fucking guys left and right since he met you?"

"Shut up," Blaine breathed. He tried to regain his bravado, but it was gone. "Y-You don't know anything."

Chandler smiled, but the action was twisted by the anger in his eyes, "Where'd your claws go, kitty cat?" he moved forward and for a brief second Blaine was worried that he was going to kiss him. Instead, Chandler bypassed his mouth and placed his cheeks next to Blaine's so that he could speak into his ear, "Just do me a favor? Let him fuck you already so that you can get the hell out of our lives."

And then he was gone, as if he'd never been there even though the pain in Blaine's wrist and the words swirling through his head were proof enough that he had been. Blaine cradled his wrist delicately, mind spinning as he thought over everything that Chandler said, God, everything that _Blaine_ had said. Nothing made sense, everything was floating around in his brain and _nothing made any sense_. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" he jumped slightly at the sound of Kurt's voice and turned to see him standing next to him, an eyebrow raised and one hand extended towards him holding a red cup, "Did something happen?"

It was too loud. Everything was loud and Blaine just couldn't think so he took the cup from Kurt, drank the water as quickly as possible, dropped the cup to the ground and took Kurt's hand in his and dragged him out of the room. As they left he noticed that Sebastian and Chandler were watching them, and that they gave him a sarcastic finger wiggle, both of them smiling far too widely. Blaine clenched his jaw and continued to drag Kurt out of the room. 

He wasn't exactly sure where he was going, but he knew that he needed to not be there, couldn't be there, not with those two sitting there and watching him, hating him for something that he had no control over. Kurt kept pulling on his hand as if to slow him down, but Blaine barely felt it. When they reached the staircase again, Blaine pulled Kurt up it and then led him to what looked like a guest room. 

Once inside, the door firmly shut behind them, Blaine finally felt like he could breathe. 

"Blaine, what the hell is going on?"

"I need you to tell me something," his voice was high, and he was speaking quickly. If he didn't say it then he never would, "I need you to reassure me that you're not just going to leave me if I don't put out soon enough or if I _do_ put out and you decide I'm not good enough. I need you to tell me that you're not just in this because you want to have sex with me. I need-" he was starting to choke up, tears welling up in his eyes, but he powered through it, "I need you to tell me that you haven't been sleeping with anybody on the side. Because if you tell me I'll believe you. If you tell me then your voice will cancel out _theirs_. I need you to tell me that you want to be with me."

He took a deep breath, feeling as if a load had been taken off his shoulders. Kurt watched him with wide eyes and Blaine noticed with surprise that there were tears running down his cheeks. He reached forward and wiped one of them away. 

"Is that what's been bothering you all night?" Kurt asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Blaine shrugged, his throat suddenly dry. 

"Since, um. Since Sebastian. Kissed me, I mean. And-" he quickly continued when he saw Kurt inhale sharply and more tears escape, "I know that it's not true, the logical part of me does because you've told me that you don't care about that stuff, but I just need you to tell me again. I need to know that if I had sex with you right now that you wouldn't leave me."

Kurt took a couple of steps forward and cupped Blaine's face softly with his hands, "Of course I wouldn't. Blaine, I don't think I could even bring myself to have sex with you right now because you're not ready. Sweetheart," Blaine's heart leaped at the pet name, "When I tell you that I want to have sex with you, I mean in the future. When _you_ want to, when _you're_ ready. And I'm not going to leave you if you're not ready in a month, six months, or even in a year."

"Really?" Blaine's voice was quiet as well. Kurt leaned forward and kissed him lightly. His lips were salty. 

"Really. And no, I haven't been sleeping with anybody. I haven't since I met you. I swear. Please, Blaine, you need to believe me." Kurt kissed him again and Blaine sighed into the kiss. "I hate that you think these things," Kurt whispered against his lips, "Please Blaine, you need to let me help you stop thinking these things."

Blaine inhaled sharply, "I don't want to," he replied, "I try not to. I'm trying so hard to be what you want, but I just-"

"Stop."

His heart skipped a beat, "What?"

"Stop trying," Kurt was smiling now, his eyes still full of tears, but he was smiling, "I don't need you to try. You know who I want you to be?" Blaine shook his head, "I want you to be that boy that I met at the Lima Bean, who heard the tail end of the conversation from hell and who still wanted to talk to me afterwards. I want you to be _you_. That's all I need."

Blaine sniffled, leaned forward and kissed Kurt softly, barely even a brush of lips. Kurt didn't try and deepen it, "Can I ask you something, Kurt?"

"Anything."

He took a deep breath and then, before he could stop himself, "Be my boyfriend? I'm... I know you don't want that, but you just said that you want me to be me, and this is me. I'm not- casually dating you has been fun, but I want you to be my boyfriend. Please be my boyfriend?"

Kurt let out a watery laugh and then wrapped his arms tightly around Blaine, so tightly that he could hardly breathe, "Blaine Hummel, it would be an honor to be your boyfriend."

Blaine smiled into Kurt's shoulder and then carefully pulled away and started to lead Kurt towards the bed. "Can you just... Can you hold me? Tonight?" 

Lowering himself on to the bed, Blaine watched as Kurt wiped the tears from his cheeks and nodded, climbing on to the bed after him. Silently they disrobed until they were wearing nothing but their underwear and, in Blaine's case, his undershirt. Surprisingly, Blaine felt no flush of embarrassment, or even a spark of arousal. They climbed under the covers together and as soon as they were lying side by side, Kurt pulled Blaine into his arms. 

It was the best sleep he'd ever had. 


	13. Chapter 13

Kurt woke up to the sound of his cell phone buzzing from inside his pants pockets. He tried to block out the sound but it was no use as it slowly brought him further and further into consciousness. Something warm shifted beside him, and Kurt cuddled it closer hoping that it would made the sound go away. 

It didn't. But it did remind him that he was now officially holding his boyfriend who he had slept with ( _just_ slept) the previous night and who was making adorable snuffling noises as he also slowly woke up. 

Kurt pressed a lingering kiss to Blaine's naked shoulder before carefully disentangling himself from the boy and attempting to find his cell phone before it continued to make the heinous noise. He finally managed to grab his pants from where they were lying on the floor and pulled them on to the bed. He smiled when Blaine shifted slightly and let out a quiet groan. 

His phone began buzzing again and Kurt quickly jumped out of bed to answer it, "What?"

"Wow, that's a nice way to greet your one and only brother. I love you too Kurtiekins."

Kurt sighed and leaned against the desk in the room they were in, turning so that he was facing where Blaine was still sleeping. He couldn't help but smile at how wonderful it was to wake up beside him, knowing full well that he was his boyfriend. He was _his_. He never thought he'd experience something like that before. 

"Sorry, it's kind of early Coop."

"What was that? I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say the 'S' word but that can't be because you _never_ say the 'S' word. Could you please repeat what you said just now?"

Not even his annoying brother could dampen his mood, "Fuck off, Coop," he wished his words had their usual bite, but he just couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed. Blaine groaned again and blearily opened his eyes. 

"Okay, what the fuck is going on? You're being way too nice, especially considering I called you at nine am on a Sunday. What gives?"

Kurt was barely paying attention to whatever his brother was yacking about, instead focusing on the Blaine blinked owlishly, his curls in disarray with a slightly confused look on his face. Of course, when he saw Kurt standing there, watching him, the look turned into a soft smile, which then turned back into a look of confusion, "What are you doing way over there?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep. 

"Kurt? Who was that? Oh my God, did you fuck someone last night? Kurt, hello, answer me."

Kurt huffed in annoyance, "Jesus Christ, Cooper. Yes, I'm here. No, I did not."

"Then who the fuck was that?"

Blaine frowned, "Who are you talking to?"

"There it is again! I've never heard that voice, Kurt. Who is that?"

"My brother," Kurt mouthed to Blaine who just seemed more confused, "That was Blaine, Coop."

Cooper let out a slightly high pitched laugh on the other end of the line, "Wait, wait. As in _the_ Blaine? The Blaine you've been freaking out over for months, the one you called me frantically about the other day telling me that you had no idea what to do and that you wanted to be his boyfriend but that freaked you out? The Blaine that you're in love with? _That_ Blaine?"

Kurt groaned, "I never said I was... Just, what do you want Cooper?"

"Huh?"

Blaine pouted and mouthed, "Come here?" Kurt put a finger up. Blaine's pout became more exaggerated. 

"You called me like, twenty times before I picked up, and like you said it's nine am on a Sunday. What do you want?"

Cooper chuckled, "Oh, right. Just to tell you that that Chandler kid has been calling me again. He told me that you had taken some kid upstairs at a party and were fucking him, or something, and told me that I needed to tell mom and dad so that you'd get into serious shit or whatever. Of course, I didn't know the guy you fucked was Blaine." Kurt rolled his eyes, "But anyway, I just wanted to tell you to tell that kid to stop fucking calling me."

"Will do," Kurt chirped, "Oh, and by the way. I didn't... We didn't. Nothing happened." He glanced towards where Blaine had lied back down and had pulled Kurt's pillow into his arms and smiled, "Well, that's not true. We did make it official. But none of that stuff happened."

"Are you serious? Are you telling me that you, playboy extraordinaire, Kurt almost-got-disowned-for-fucking-too-much Anderson have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, Cooper. That is exactly what I'm telling you. And he is beckoning me back to bed with his adorableness, so I really need to go."

"Wait I thought you said nothing happened!"

Kurt grinned, "It didn't. Bye, Coop."

"Hold on a second, when do I get to meet-" Kurt hung up the phone before Cooper could say anything else. He then padded back towards the bed, smiling far too wide considering it was nine am, and climbed under the covers. He carefully loosened Blaine's hold on the pillow so that he could lay on it himself and then leaned forward to give Blaine a close lipped kiss. 

"Good morning, boyfriend," he said, giggling at the way it sounded. Blaine let out a content sigh and shuffled closer. 

"Good morning, boyfriend. You never told me you had a brother."

Kurt frowned, "Didn't I? Eh, it's probably because he's a pain in the ass."

Blaine chuckled at that, "Can you tell me about him? I kind of want to know everything about you."

Who was Kurt to deny his beautiful boyfriend a request like that? "God, where do I even start..."

**

They talked and talked, well into the morning completely unaware of the day that was passing by them. The only times they left the bed were to go to the bathroom and when Kurt had sneaked downstairs to grab some fruit and water. When he returned he announced that everybody was still sleeping (and that some people were conveniently missing from the living room where everybody had crashed) and that they could probably get away with at least two more hours of alone time. 

It ended up being only an hour and a half. Kurt had been tracing patterns on Blaine's shoulder, listening to him tell stories of his family and friends when he was younger when the door opened and a whispered, "Shit," interrupted them. 

Looking up, Kurt instantly felt protective at the sight of Sebastian in the doorway, staring at them with wide eyes. He was wearing the same clothes as the night before, only his shirt was unbuttoned and his jeans were undone. If that alone didn't suggest what his activities after Kurt and Blaine escaped the party had been, his mussed up hair really sold it. Sebastian glanced between them, his mouth open slightly, uncharacteristically silent. 

Finally, Kurt couldn't take it, "Was there something you needed, Sebastian?"

The boy shook his head as if clearing his thoughts, his usual smirk appearing on his face, "Sorry, thought this was the bathroom," his eyes made their way towards Blaine, and Kurt felt the blanket shifting slightly. He glanced back and saw his boyfriend had pulled the blanket up slightly to cover himself. "So apparently I wasn't the only one who got laid last night." His eyes glinted dangerously. Kurt sat up a bit to shield Blaine more, not realizing that the movement revealed his naked chest to Sebastian. 

Not realizing, of course, until Sebastian's eyes widened in excitement, "Fuck off, Sebastian."

Sebastian, of course, didn't, "Was it good?" Kurt could tell that he wasn't being spoken to, "Has Kurt lost his magic touch during his months of celibacy?" he waggled his eyebrows and Kurt was just about ready to jump out of the bed and beat Sebastian into the ground when Blaine's voice stopped him. 

"It was amazing. Not that's it's any of your business."

Kurt turned, eyes wide as he faced Blaine who was blushing a dark red and still holding the blanket tightly to his chest. He searched his boyfriends eyes, trying to find out what exactly he was doing, but Blaine gave nothing away. He kept his gaze set on Sebastian and eventually Kurt turned around to face him as well. Sebastian had the biggest shit eating grin that Kurt had ever seen. 

"You know, even though I'm disappointed it wasn't me, I have to say I'm impressed," he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, "I didn't think you'd ever give it up."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but Blaine beat him to it, "Well, I did. Now can you leave? Kurt and I were about to, um, go again. So..." 

It was like aliens had abducted his boyfriend and replaced him with one of their own. Kurt fought not to show the surprise on his face every time Blaine opened his mouth, keeping an eyebrow raised in challenge towards Sebastian with his lips pursed into a thin line. Sebastian chuckled. 

"Alright. I'll go. But... Good job, Kurt," he gave him an honest smile, one that Kurt recognized instantly because he had only seen it twice before, "I'll back off, I swear. But Blaine, seriously, if you and Kurt don't work out-"

"I don't think so," Blaine said, voice hard and sure. Kurt wanted to squeeze him, he was so proud. 

"Cool." Sebastian raised his hands above his head, "But really. And hey, don't worry too much about Chandler," his smile was replaced by his usual smirk, "I don't think he'll be bothering you any time soon."

Kurt frowned at that, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Sebastian's grin was absolutely feral, "Well, you know how he always used to bitch about how you were the only person he'd ever slept with and that meant you guys were soulmates?" Kurt nodded, "That's not exactly true anymore."

It took Kurt a few seconds to process the words, and it seemed that Blaine understood first because he let out a short giggle that he quickly covered with a cough. Kurt's eyebrows shot up, "Are you serious? You and him?"

"Now, don't tell me you're going to get jealous now, Anderson. After all, you have your still-blushing-no-longer-a-virgin whatever the fuck you guys are."

"Boyfriends," Saying it felt so amazing, like everything bad in his life was just... gone, "We're boyfriends. Since last night."

Sebastian looked momentarily shocked but then nodded, the honest smile back, "I'm happy for you guys. Really." He turned around as if to leave but then pivoted so he could tell Blaine one more time, "But really, even though I couldn't be your first I learnt last night that Kurt's sloppy seconds aren't actually that sloppy, so seriously if at any time-"

"Go, Sebastian," Kurt was surprised by the fondness in his voice, and had to force himself to be annoyed at his friend (ex-friend? Were they still not friends?). After all, he wasn't just going to forgive and forget after all that he had put Blaine through. But still... He almost felt like they'd gone back to the way they were, even if it was just for a little while. 

Sebastian chuckled and escaped the room, leaving the door partially open behind him. When he was sure that he was completely out of hearing range, Kurt turned towards Blaine, "Why did you say that?"

Blaine's tight hold on the blanket relaxed slightly and he blinked at Kurt innocently, "I'm not quite sure I know what you mean."

"Stop that. Why did you tell Sebastian we fucked?"

Blaine scoffed, "Okay, first of all, if you and I ever... well, yes. We will not... that. Okay? We will make love. Got that, mister?" Kurt nodded, feeling a smirk tugging at his lips at how adorable Blaine was being, "And secondly, I told him that so that he would get off our backs." Blaine paused and looked down at his lap, "Are you... Are you mad? That I said that?"

"Are you kidding me?" Kurt lay down on the bed, bringing Blaine down with him and slinging an arm around his waist, "Blaine, "Why would I be mad about people thinking we slept together?" Blaine blushed, a shy smile appearing on his face, "I think you should know though that it will literally take Sebastian five minutes to tell all of the Warblers."

Blaine shrugged, "That's okay," he smiled and leaned closer to Kurt so that he could press their lips together, "I mean, I said it on an impulse but I said it, and now I guess I'll just have to live with the fact that people think we slept together." They kissed again, and continued kissing until Blaine broke off in giggles. 

"What is it?"

"I just... It's so strange," his cheeks were lightly flushed, "That people think I'm not a virgin. That they think you and I..." he continued laughing, for no apparent reason, which eventually led to Kurt laughing because this boy was his boyfriend. This beautiful, amazing, work in progress of a boy was his boyfriend and he was absolutely perfect. 

After laughing for what felt like hours, Kurt leaned over to calm Blaine down with kisses. Kisses that they got lost in, that were soft and slow, that were lazy. Kisses that made Kurt wonder how he had ever thought that kissing was fun before Blaine. Because Blaine's kisses just made everything better. 

They were pulled out of their kisses by someone clearing their throat. Kurt groaned, pecked Blaine one last time and then turned around to face the sound. He rolled his eyes when he saw Nick, Jeff, Sam, Thad and Wes all standing at the doorway, giant grins on their faces, looking far too happy for people who were supposed to be hungover. 

Nobody spoke for a while, Kurt unable to do anything but stare at his friends and his friends apparently unable to do anything but grin at Kurt. He felt the blanket move again and guessed that Blaine had pulled it up to cover himself again. 

Finally, Thad broke the silence, "Just so you know, Kurt," he turned to face the rest of the guys and then laughed shortly, "There's no way in hell we're letting you stay in the celibacy club after this."

**

Kurt dropped Blaine off at his house at one thirty pm, after having a small lunch at a deli near Chandler's house. They had briefly seen the blond talking quietly to Sebastian at the edge of the living room, but at the sight of them Chandler had flushed a bright red and mysteriously disappeared. Part of Kurt was glad that he hadn't said anything to them - after all, Blaine had told him all about the little chat he and Chandler had the previous night - but at the same time he felt the slight pain of loss. Chandler had, after all, been his first friend at Dalton, and despite everything he really hoped that their friendship wasn't completely ruined. 

He had thought that he would just drive Blaine home and then head back to Dalton, but as soon as he parked in the driveway Blaine reached over the console and grasped his hand, "Come inside?"

Kurt looked down at himself, obviously wearing the same clothes as the night before, hair still a bit sleep mussed and then glared at Blaine, "Really? You really want me to come inside, right now?" 

Blaine nodded eagerly and tugged at Kurt's hand, "Please?"

He could never resist that stupid pout and those stupid puppy dog eyes, "Alright," he groaned, unbuckling his seat belt and stepping out of the car. Blaine grinned at him and when both car doors were safely shut he hurried over to Kurt's side and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Kurt brushed him away with a fond, "Yeah, yeah," as Blaine practically skipped towards the house, his hand grasping Kurt's and his arm swinging their hands between them. 

The door was opened by a slightly disgrunteled looking Burt Hummel. Instantly, Kurt's fear of the man returned - ten fold, now that he and Blaine were official. He wondered if maybe Blaine hadn't told Burt that he was going out, if he had unknowingly encouraged Blaine to lie to his father, and at that thought he squeezed Blaine's hand tightly. The younger boy smiled at him in reassurance and then turned to his dad. 

"Long night?"

Burt grunted, stepping aside to let them in, "Quinn got up eight times to go to the bathroom between midnight and two in the morning. I've decided that I'm switching your rooms; she can live in the basement and you can come upstairs."

Blaine rolled his eyes and then gestured towards Kurt, "Dad, this is Kurt."

Both Burt and Kurt stared at him as if he'd lost his mind, "Um... Son, Kurt and I have already met. On several occasions, in fact."

With a huff, Blaine stood up straighter and pulled Kurt closer to his side, "No, I mean: Dad, this is Kurt. My boyfriend."

Burt glanced between both boys, his narrowed eyes making Kurt sweat. He wondered if it would look strange if he suddenly took off his jacket. He decided not to. Burt kept staring at them. 

"Weren't you always boyfriends?"

The sigh of relief left him before he could even try to stop it, making Burt chuckle. Blaine rolled his eyes, mumbling, "Way to spoil my fun dad, come on," and pouted. Burt laughed out right at that and pulled Blaine into his side, squeezing him tightly. 

"I'm happy for you, bud," he whispered into Blaine's hair, and Kurt flushed at the sign of fatherly affection. The last conversation he'd had with his father had ended with him being told to clean up his act even though he hadn't done anything wrong in the past two months. 

The moment was interrupted by loud footsteps clambering down the stairs, and an annoyed female voice screeching, "What is all this laughter and noise? Some of us are trying to sleep!"

Quinn came into view, her pyjamas bright pink and her hair frizzed out. Without missing a beat, Burt snapped, "Maybe you wouldn't be sleeping at one o'clock in the afternoon if you went to bed at a decent hour."

"I'm pregnant." Was Quinn's excuse, and Kurt wondered if the two were about to get into a full blown shouting match when Quinn's eyes landed on Kurt and Blaine's still linked fingers. It was like he saw the anger melt away, her eyes brightening and her lips curling as she literally jumped on Blaine, "Oh my God, I'm so happy for you two."

"Quinn, come on, just because we're holding hands-"

"But you are, right?" she asked Blaine, pulling away but keeping her arms on his shoulders, "You're dating, officially. You guys are boyfriends now."

With a light blush, Blaine nodded. Quinn squealed and hugged Blaine again, and then reached her arm out and pulled Kurt into the hug as well. The action was surprising, but no more surprising than Burt Hummel joining the hug as well, his hand warm and comforting and so goddamn parental on Kurt's back. 

Kurt wondered if it was possible to simply stay where he was forever. 

**

Kurt was just leaving the Lima Bean, car keys in one hand and a large cup of coffee in another, when his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket, ignoring the couple glaring at him. He resisted the urge to flip them off as he answered the call, "What?"

"Do you always answer the phone like this?" _Shit._ Kurt wished he'd checked his caller ID before picking up, because there was literally nothing like a conversation with his father that could bring his mood down so fast. 

He moved his phone so that it was stuck between his shoulder and his ear, unlocking his car, "Well, you would know the answer to that question if you called me more often."

His father ignored him, "We're having a family dinner tonight. Cooper is coming as well. You better be here."

"Oh father, it would be my utmost pleasure to attend a dinner with you, my wonderful and caring mother and my kiss ass brother."

"Watch your tone. And I know you and Cooper have been talking, so stop acting like you two don't get along. It's getting tiresome."

If Kurt had a nickle for every time he wanted to tell his father to fuck off... "Time?"

"Dinner will begin at seven thirty. You should come at least an hour early to help your mother with the preparations."

"Like hell."

"Kurt..."

"Fine, whatever, can I go? My coffee's getting cold."

Brief silence. And then, "Don't be late."

As soon as the phone call ended Kurt muttered, "Dick," before stepping into his car and placing his coffee in the cup holder. He had been planning on returning to Dalton, burying himself under his many blankets, and calling Blaine to talk for hours. He knew for a fact that Sebastian had stayed at Chandler's house for another night and Kurt wanted to take advantage of the empty room. 

Obviously none of that would be happening. 

The worst part was that he knew why this stupid family dinner was happening, and it was his own fault. He should have just kept his mouth shut around Cooper because, even though they'd started getting along a little bit better recently, his brother was still the biggest kiss ass ever and telling their parents that Kurt now had a boyfriend before Kurt got the chance to would put him in their good books for the rest of his life. 

If Blaine had been there he would have told him to give Cooper the benefit of the doubt. But Blaine wasn't there, and Blaine had never even met Cooper so the voice in his head that sounded like Blaine could just shut up. 

He briefly considered actually going to see Blaine, but he'd literally just seen him and it might look a little stupid. Plus he didn't want to get too clingy so early in the relationship. Instead he drove to the public library, found the raunchiest book he could (it ended up being a book about male anatomy, which wasn't really very raunchy, but there was a section about how to please a penis sexually. Kurt was pretty smug when he only read one thing that he didn't already know), and wasted the rest of his day there. 

At seven pm he returned the book the the shelf and drove to his house, already preparing himself for that wonderfully disappointed look that would no doubt be on his mother's face. He dawdled as much as he could outside the house and very briefly considered keying "Douchebag" into Cooper's shiny new car, but eventually decided that it wouldn't be worth it. 

He walked into the house without knocking, making sure to make as much noise as possible. He was not, in any way, going to hide the fact that this dinner had ruined his evening plans and that he was pissed about it. The first person to come out and greet him was, surprisingly, his father. 

The man had his arms crossed over his chest as he slowly walked towards Kurt, who casually placed his hands in his pockets and started whistling, "Hey pops," he said, smirking in a way that he knew annoyed his dad. 

"You're late."

Kurt made a show of looking at his time, "I'm actually early. You said dinner started at seven thirty and it's seven ten."

"I asked you to arrive an hour before dinner to help your mother."

"Did you?" Kurt hummed, tapping his chin with a finger, "You know, I don't remember that. I sort of tuned you out after you fucked up my evening plans."

He relished in the way his father's chin tensed, "Kurt..."

"Hey, on the positive side, I haven't done anything stupid lately right? No drinking, no sex, still haven't kicked the smoking thing but I'm thinking of quitting," he winked as he walked by his dad, "Gotta start seeing the glass half full, dad. If not you'll never be happy."

His father probably said something to him, but Kurt didn't bother to try and listen. He strutted into the dining room, his eyes narrowing when he saw Cooper sitting at the end of the table, fiddling with his phone. He glanced up to look at Kurt for a second and then went back to his phone, "Dad's pissed at you."

"Yeah, and grass is green. What else is new."

Cooper smirked, his thumb sliding around the screen of his mobile, "Actually, a little birdie told me that you weren't entirely honest with me about what happened last night."

Kurt walked until he was standing right in front of his brother, "Was that birdie named Chandler, because if he was then he has false information."

"Sebastian."

"How the fuck did Sebastian contact you?"

Cooper shrugged, "Texted me. He said he found you and your boyfriend naked in bed this morning," he wiggled his eyebrows, tearing his eyes away from his phone for a second, "You didn't have to lie to me. You know I don't care about that shit."

"Well, it's bullshit. We weren't naked, and we just slept. No funny business. He's not ready."

Cooper snickered, sliding his phone into his pocket, "You know, you sound ridiculous right now, right? 'He's not ready'. Who are you?"

Kurt leaned forwards, "No, who are you? Because the guy I talked to this morning wasn't being this big of an asshole. I mean, you were being an asshole, you always are, but this is just..." he glanced back to see his father enter the room, "Was this all really necessary? I'd avoided coming home for two weeks now. I was hoping to make it three."

With a shrug, Cooper pointed to himself, "I'm a kiss ass, remember?"

"Christ, can nobody in this family keep their mouths fucking shut?"

As if called by the foul language, Kurt's mother floated into the room, her usual smile firmly in place. Her eyes, of course, told another story, "Kurt, darling. Were you held up? I was looking forward to your help with dinner."

Kurt groaned, "Yeah, I was held up. By the fact that I'm not your fucking maid."

Both his parents snapped, "Kurt!" at the same time as Cooper snickered. Kurt felt an odd sense of pride when his mother turned a strong glare onto his brother. He smirked and then dropped himself into a chair, placing his feet on the table in front of him and crossing them at the ankles. His mother tutted but he refused to budge. 

"Kurt, I specifically asked you to be here an hour ago," Kurt couldn't see his father, but he knew that his jaw must be clenched extremely tight considering how gritty his words sounded, "Your mother was very excited."

He shrugged, "Terribly sorry, I was caught up at the library. I was reading up on how to suck cock, you see, and time got away with me."

Cooper let out a loud laugh while his mother turned pale, "As if you need tips on that," he continued to laugh, bending over at the middle. Kurt looked up towards his mother and raised an eyebrow, daring her to speak. She recovered quickly, her color returning as well as her smile. 

"Darling, I wish you wouldn't speak so vulgarly. We aren't spending so much money on your schooling for you to speak like a common-"

Kurt stood up, "Okay, I'm tired of the chit chat. I'm here, I made my appearance. Can I leave now? I wasn't kidding when I said I had plans."

"You will sit down and eat dinner with us like the civilized young man that we raised," came his father's voice. Kurt sighed and sat back down. Cooper mouthed 'nice try' and Kurt flipped him off. His mother clucked her tongue and Kurt had to fight not to flip her off as well. 

It took another twenty or so minutes before dinner was ready, and Kurt spent the time texting Blaine, telling him about how he wouldn't be able to call him until later and updating him every time Cooper kicked his shins. His brother kept trying to read his conversation, but Kurt smacked his hand or head away whenever he tried. Their father watched silently from the other end of the table.

Their mother finally arrived with way too much food for only four people, set the table so that it looked absolutely perfect, and then began cutting in to the chicken. Kurt sent Blaine one last text telling him that he was going to start eating and that he'd call him as soon as he could. Blaine sent him a kissy face that made Kurt smile softly. 

"My God boy, put your phone away. You've been smiling at it like a smitten school girl for the past twenty minutes."

Kurt scowled at his dad and then made a show of putting his phone in his pocket. His father rolled his eyes and turned to thank his wife as she placed some food on his plate. Kurt began serving himself, as always. 

"You know, I noticed that Kurt's been looking a bit like a smitten school girl too, dad."

"Of course you have," Kurt muttered, turning to glare at his brother. Cooper directed him a blinding smile and then looked away to smile at his mother when she served him as well. When she moved to serve Kurt, he took a large bite out of the mashed potatoes that he'd already put on his own plate. Her perfect smile never faltered. 

"Cooper said you have some news to share with us, sweetheart," she said, finally sitting down and serving herself. Kurt rolled his eyes. So he'd been right. 

"Nothing you guys would be interested in."

She batted her eyelashes, "Oh, but now we're curious, aren't we Grant?"

His father grunted. Kurt snorted, "Look, it's nothing really, alright? Cooper's just being an asshole."

"Really, Kurt, we're eating."

"Whatever."

They lapsed into silence, their cutlery clinking on the plates loudly to make up for the lack of conversation. Kurt sighed. Just another dinner at the Anderson house. 

He wondered what dinner would be like at Blaine's house. He imagined that lately it would be a bit different, what with Quinn and all her pregnant hormones, but before she moved in he wondered what it was like. He wondered if Blaine and Burt ever fell into complete silence like Kurt and his family did. He wondered if they asked each other how their days went just because they wanted to know how their days went and not because they were waiting for the other to say something they could hold against them for years. He wondered if they ever talked about him. 

"Kurt has a boyfriend."

Kurt almost choked on his potatoes, his coughs nearly as loud as those of his father who had been caught mid sip. Their mother paused, her fork raised daintily in front of her face, her mouth open slightly. 

" _Christ,_ Cooper." Kurt hissed. 

"Is this what you didn't want to tell us before?" His mother asked, trying to sound casual but for once failing. Kurt groaned and ran a hand over his face. Without another word he pulled out his phone, opened up a picture of him and Blaine and slid the phone across the table to his mother. She stared at it, not a single emotion obvious on her face, and then silently passed the phone to his father. 

His father stared at the picture for a few seconds before looking up at Kurt, "This is your boyfriend, you say?" Kurt nodded, refusing to look at him, "Kurt, you know how we feel about you wasting your time-"

"Nope," Kurt snatched his phone back, "I don't want to hear anything you have to say about this. I get it, okay, you don't approve of any of my life choices. But Blaine makes me better, and so I don't even want to hear it."

His mouth coughed delicately, "His name is Blaine? Very unique, wouldn't you say, Grant?"

Kurt honestly wanted to scratch her eyes out, "He has a wonderful name," he gritted out. Cooper cleared his throat. 

"Can I say something?" and of course their parents just nodded at him, because Cooper had that power over them and Kurt really just wanted to punch something, "I've never met Blaine, but I can attest to what Kurt said about Blaine making him better. They're really good for each other, and the fact that Kurt even asked Blaine to be his boyfriend is a huge deal."

Kurt made a note to tell his brother later that Blaine had actually asked him. He didn't feel like giving his parents that little bit of information, "It's wonderful that you think that, Cooper," his father said, voice forcefully calm, "However Kurt is perfectly aware of the consequences if he does not put his studies first, and this boy is obviously-"

"Oh, fuck you dad." 

There. He'd said it. He'd spoken to his father honestly for the first time. It felt invigorating. 

"Young man, in case you forgot-"

"You said you'd disinherit me if I kept fucking around, yeah. And guess what, I've been busting my ass in an attempt to stop fucking around." His mother looked like she was going to faint. _Good_. "And just for your information, I haven't. I haven't drunk any alcohol, I haven't taken any drugs, I've barely skipped any class and I haven't been fucking random guys." He held his phone up and pointed at the picture of Blaine that was set as his background, "This guy, right here? This is my boyfriend. And I really like him. So fuck you if you think that that's a good reason for kicking me out of the family."

His mother squeaked, her head turning quickly towards his father, "Nobody's getting kicked out of the family, right Grant?" she hissed. His father scoffed. 

"You know, I don't believe any of this 'he's made me better' stuff. You're still acting like your usual, bratty-"

"Gay self. That's what you were going to say, wasn't it dad?" Kurt stood up, his voice raising by the second, "You can say it, I know you're always thinking it. I know you're all always thinking it; this family went to hell when Kurt decided to be gay." He let out an emotionless laugh at the stunned look on his father's face, "Tell me, honestly, if I said that Blaine was a girl would you be acting like I'm still screwing around? Huh, dad? And you," he turned to his mother, "Would you be directing thinly veiled insults towards him if Blaine was a girl?"

Everything was silent for a few seconds. Cooper cleared his throat, "Kurt, I think you should stay over at my house tonight."

"That might be best," their father said, his voice slightly vacant as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. In a way, Kurt couldn't either. 

"Absolutely not," his mother said, "Kurt, please, stay as long as you like."

Kurt glanced between his parents and his brother before shaking his head, "No." They all raised an eyebrow at the exact same moment and christ, that was probably the most in tune they had ever been as a family, "I think Cooper's right. I need some space to breathe." He pushed himself away from the table, "I'll be over in a week. We'll clear up the whole 'am I out of the family or not' thing." He then turned to Cooper directly, "I'll be in my car."

He exited the house, a strange feeling in his chest. He felt... God, he felt wonderful. He'd finally stood up to his parents, he'd said exactly what he wanted to say, and he felt amazing. Deep down, he knew that maybe he should feel bad for speaking to his parents that way, for screaming at them, for possibly ruining his chances at ever having a good relationship with them ever again. But he didn't. Instead, he felt like he could fly. 

He climbed into his car and pulled out his phone, ready to call Blaine and tell him about his eventful evening. He didn't have time, however, because somebody was knocking on his car window. He frowned. There was no way that Cooper had left before dessert. 

He looked out and was surprised to find his mother standing outside the car, her slim arms wrapped around her body and her lips pursed together tightly. Kurt rolled the window down, "What do you want?"

She locked her eyes on his and for the first time in his life Kurt saw tears in her eyes. Never had he seen his mother display any emotion other than thinly veiled annoyance in his direction, and yet there she was, looking like she was about to cry. She placed a hand over her lips as if that would stop the tears, "Kurt..." her voice was weak, watery. Kurt sighed.

"Look, if you think I'm going to apologize for that, then you've got something else coming."

She shook her head, her hair moving with the motion, "No. I wouldn't... You had every right to say those things, Kurt." A small sob escaped her mouth, "I just wanted to tell you that we don't want you to leave. I... You're father doesn't always see things clearly. But nobody is thinking of disinheriting you." 

Kurt nodded, her words falling on deaf ears. He honestly couldn't care less what she had to say. She should have said it before he was forced to scream at her. 

She stood outside his door for several moments and then, seemingly accepting that he wasn't going to say anything, turned around and began walking towards the house. After a couple of steps she turned around and gave Kurt a significant look, "He's cute, by the way," her voice was quiet, as if it pained her to speak the words, "Your boyfriend." A small smile appeared on her face, "I'm glad that you've found someone, darling."

With that she walked back into the house, Kurt watching her in disbelief. Of everything she could have said that was... That was what he needed to hear most. He felt himself smile as he rolled up his window, even though his heart was still not nearly ready to forgive. He sighed, bit his lip, and dialled Blaine's number. 

His boyfriend picked up on the third ring, voice happy and excited. Kurt's smile grew and he leaned back in his chair, listening as Blaine instantly began to babble on about some movie that he and Quinn had watched that evening. 

Just listening to Blaine talk seemed to make everything better. 


	14. Chapter 14

"I don't know," Blaine said, feeling a bit silly talking to what seemed like nobody, "What if I dress up too much and then they show up and her son's wearing like... a letterman jacket or something. Oh God," he brought a hand up to his mouth, "What if he's homophobic? What if _she_ is?"

"Blaine, really?" he could hear Kurt chuckling over speaker phone, "I don't think your father would still be dating her if she was."

Blaine shook his head, worry filling him, "No, but, okay, just hear me out." Kurt stopped laughing, but it sounded like he had forced himself to do so, "What if she's one of those extremists. And she knows I'm here because... Because her son went to McKinley with me and was one of my bullies! And she pretended to fall in love with my dad just so that she could come here and..."

"And do what? Kill you?" he could hear the barely disguised amusement in his boyfriend's voice. Blaine scowled. 

"You never know."

Kurt chuckled, "Blaine, I know you're nervous about meeting your dad's girlfriend but that's just ridiculous."

Blaine fell onto his bed, the phone bouncing slightly when he did, "I know," he mumbled, "I just... I'm still not really used to this. The whole My Dad Is Dating Now thing."

He heard Kurt let out a deep breath, something he knew by now meant that either he had just shifted how he was sitting, or he was getting ready to say something important. It didn't mean that he was annoyed with Blaine or tired of hearing him talk. Blaine smiled at himself for not even doubting that, "I get that. I mean, I don't because I've never been anywhere near the position you are now, but I get why you're nervous. But really, you don't need to be. They're going to love you. Remember that waiter from Breadstix? The guy who looked like a total dope but then said that he thought it was great that we went out? I'm sure that your dad's girlfriend and her son will both be like that."

Blaine let out a mumbled groan, "I don't know. It just..." he rubbed his face, "My dad really likes this girl, and even though I'm not used to it I can accept it. But just because they like each other doesn't mean that she'll like _me_."

Kurt scoffed, "She'd be crazy not to."

"You just have to say that because you're my boyfriend and if you don't I might get mad and like... I don't know, withhold sex or something."

"Blaine, honey, we're not having sex yet."

"Well, there you go, guess you don't even have to say those things."

Kurt laughed, "I say them because they're true, not because of some misguided attempt to get in your pants."

Blaine let out a frustrated yell, "I'm going to die before the night is over. I hate this so much, this shouldn't be so nerve wracking."

There was a brief silence before Kurt said, all amusement gone from his voice, "Hey, remember a while back when I had that giant blow out with my parents?" Blaine hummed, "Okay, well, when I went back the next week to clear the air I thought I was going to shit my pants."

Blaine chuckled, "I know, you've already told me. By the way, if this story is supposed to be telling me that things will be fine then it's not the best one to tell."

"Why not? Sure, things didn't go perfectly, but at least we had a good, open conversation where we put it all on the line. And, yeah, things will probably be strained for the next ten years or so, but I'm still an Anderson. Obviously I did something right."

Blaine still remembered when Kurt had called him freaking out over going to his parents house, saying that he was worried that his bravado from the other day would disappear and that he'd turn back into the kid who was sometimes sarcastic but who never really challenged his parents on anything. It was actually a conversation that went eerily similar to the one they were currently having. 

"I guess you have a point."

"Of course I do. Now, get lost. I'm supposed to be meeting Sebastian at the Lima Bean. We're having an Important Conversation. Wish me luck."

"Luck," Blaine said, making kissing sounds that Kurt returned with a happy, "Bye!" before they hung up. Blaine sighed, ran his hands through his hair, and decided that it didn't really matter what he wore. It was like before his first date with Kurt; clothes didn't matter at all. If Carole didn't like him it probably wouldn't be because of his clothing. 

Firm in his decision, he slipped on a t-shirt and put a sweater vest over it, paired it with some of his most worn out jeans and then fluffed his hair a bit in the mirror. He smiled at his reflection, then pulled his phone out, took a picture of himself and sent it to Kurt with the caption _What say you, master of Introduction To_ _Girlfriend of Father_. Kurt texted back a winky face. Blaine grinned, pressed the phone to his mouth, and then dropped it on the ground at the sound of the doorbell ringing. 

He stuffed his phone in his pocket and rushed out of his room, almost tripping several times in his rush to get up the stairs before his father opened the door and let his girlfriend in. He did want to make a good impression after all, and hiding in his room when Carole and her son arrived probably wouldn't make one. 

He made it to the front hall just as his father opened the door to reveal a small, cute woman dressed in far too much denim to be healthy and a ridiculously tall teenage boy that looked far too familiar for comfort. Where he'd seen the boy before he couldn't quite place, but he knew he had. He sincerely hoped that his theory about him being one of his old bullies wasn't true. 

"And you must be Blaine," before he could even respond, Blaine found himself wrapped in one of the warmest, most maternal hugs he'd received in a long time. He looked up at his father in surprise and saw him watching them fondly. Cautiously, Blaine hugged back. "It's so wonderful to meet you. Your father has told me so much about you."

She pulled away from him and he finally got his first good look of her. She was much smaller than his mother had been, with a rounder face and short hair. Actually, the only thing he could see that was similar to his mother was the way she hugged. Blaine was a bit sad to be let out of that hug because it was just one of those hugs that he felt he could lose himself in. 

"Likewise," he said shyly, smiling at her softly, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hudson."

She cooed and turned back towards Burt, "Oh, he's so polite. You can call me Carole, honey," she patted his cheek affectionately and Blaine was pretty sure that if he was a cat he would be purring up a storm. His earlier freak out seemed so stupid now, "And this is my son, Finn. I believe you two are the same age."

When the boy came forward, hand awkwardly held out in front of him, Blaine finally recognized him. He couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped him when he realized that the boy Kurt had just recently reminded him of was now standing in front of him. "I know you." Blaine blurted. Finn frowned, narrowed his eyes, and then grinned. 

"Hey, you were on that date with the rude guy on my first day on the job!" Finn grasped his hand and shook it tightly, "Who would have thought, huh?"

Burt frowned, and Blaine quickly explained that Finn had been his and Kurt's waiter on their first date. Both Carole and Burt chuckled at that, interrupted only because the oven dinged to announce that the food was ready. 

Blaine hurried to the kitchen to get the food out of the oven, but his father stopped him and politely asked him to show Carole and Finn to the dinning room. Blaine shot his father a glare but them smiled at their guests and led them to the table. He pulled the chair out for Carole who giggled and gestured towards the chair in front of where he would be sitting to Finn. The boy sat down, his eyes going towards the kitchen. 

"I hope you like lasagne," Blaine said, "It's the only thing dad knows how to make and he insisted on cooking tonight," he shrugged. Finn perked up, letting Blaine know that yes, he did like lasagne very much. 

"So," Carole laced her fingers together over the table, "You have a boyfriend?"

Blaine smiled softly, "Yeah, Kurt." He glanced towards Finn, gauging his reaction to the topic. He already knew that Finn was okay with him being gay, but it was one thing to have to serve a gay couple food because it was your job and another to actually listen to someone gush about their gay boyfriend. Finn, however, seemed just as interested as his mother, "He goes to Dalton Academy. We've known each other for about four months and been together for two."

Carole awwed, and then said, "Finn here goes to McKinley." Blaine stiffened at the name of the school, "We moved here last year and he's already got himself a cute little girlfriend, don't you sweetheart?"

Finn blushed, but nodded, "It's why I got the job," he explained to Blaine, "At Breadstix. Rachel has a bit of expensive taste when it comes to gift giving."

Blaine chuckled, "Is she at least nice?"

With a fond smile, Finn nodded, "Yeah, she's great. Great singing voice. You should meet her sometime, I'm sure you two would get along famously."

Burt came into the living room, a large dish of lasagne in hand announcing that dinner was served. Blaine laughed as his father tried to cut the lasagne into even pieces, and then some more when he tried to serve it without meat and cheese going everywhere. Eventually Blaine shooed his father towards his chair and ended up serving the dish himself. Carole seemed to find the interaction adorable. 

"So what school do you go to, dude?" Finn asked around a large piece of lasagne, "I mean, you look like you live close enough to go to McKinley but I've never seen you there."

Blaine glanced at his father, who shrugged in a 'it's your call' sort of way. Blaine pursed his lips, "I'm home schooled," he said, "I did go to McKinley for a while but it... It didn't work out." Blaine silently hoped that Finn would focus more on the home schooling aspect and less on the fact that Blaine had left McKinley. Thankfully, he did. 

"Whoa. As in you do your school from home?" his mouth was wide open, and his mother gently chided him, telling him to chew before he spoke, "What's that like?" he asked excitedly, completely ignoring her, "Do you get to like, play videogames during recess and stuff?"

Blaine chuckled, "No, it's more like I get to make my own schedule so I'm normally done by lunch time."

Finn looked like he'd just told him the secret of eternal life, "Oh my God. Mom, can I home school?"

"Absolutely not."

"It's not that great," Blaine quickly said when Finn looked like he was going to argue. "I don't get to see my friends until after they're done school, so normally between noon and five o'clock I sort of have nothing to do."

Finn gave him a glare and muttered, "Traitor," under his breath, which made Burt laugh and Carole roll her eyes before winking at Blaine in thanks. 

The rest of the dinner passed in similar fashion, the conversation flowing smoothly and everybody eating their fair share of food. When they were finished eating, Finn and Blaine offered to do the dishes, and once that was done, Burt gave Blaine a Look to which Blaine laughed and then asked Finn if he wanted to play some Mario Kart in his room. Finn jumped at the opportunity, seeming even more excited when he found out that Blaine lived in the basement. 

He bounded down the stairs, asking Blaine if he had the steering wheel remote cover, because if he did that would be so _awesome_. Blaine bit his lip to stop the amused chuckle from escaping. It felt strange to think that only hours ago he was almost passing out in fear because of the boy who was now searching around his room for the Wii like an over eager puppy and the woman who made his dad smile brighter than he'd seen in a while. 

Blaine set up the station, giving Finn permission to look around his room if he wanted. He expected that Finn would check out his bookcase, or maybe even his closet, but he had not expected that Finn would head right over to the cork board filled with pictures that hung over his desk. "Dude!" he exclaimed, drawing Blaine's attention away from the cables he was trying to connect to the television, "You know Quinn and Puck?"

Frowning, Blaine nodded, "Yeah, they're my neighbors. We've been friends forever. Why?"

Finn fidgeted where he stood, bowing his head a bit, "Are they... I mean, how are they? I heard about the whole... baby issue."

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Blaine asked, an eyebrow raised. Finn shrugged. 

"They sort of keep to themselves at school these days. It's hard to approach them when they both look like they want to punch anybody who gets too close in the face."

Blaine sighed, finishing setting up the machine, "It's not really my place to say," he said quietly, "But Quinn's living with me now, if that answers any of your questions. She's out on a date with Puck right now." Finn snapped his mouth shut, obviously getting ready to ask just that. He nodded and walked over to where Blaine was sitting on the floor. He picked up a remote control and smirked. 

"Alright, enough serious talk. I'm going to wipe the floor with you."

Blaine laughed and shook his head, "You wish."

**

By the time that Finn and Carole left, Blaine felt like they he had known them forever. He had spent most of the afternoon playing Wii with Finn, and Puck when he and Quinn returned from their date. Quinn had flushed a dark red when she saw Finn and then excused herself to go to her own room. Puck rolled his eyes and told Finn not to be offended, that she was just having some sort of pregnant fit. 

Right before they left, Finn gave Blaine a huge hug and assured that he'd be coming over sometime next week and bringing some of his own games to play. Carole gave him a hug as well, assuring him that it was amazing to meet him and that she was so happy that he and Finn got along. Blaine had replied that he was happy too. 

After their car pulled out of the driveway, Burt pulled Blaine close and asked him if he was okay. Blaine was surprised to find how honestly he answered, "Yes."

**

Kurt called at around eleven thirty at night, waking Blaine from the half doze he'd fallen into. Blaine sniffled and then answered the phone with a croaked, "Yes?"

"Did you know it's our two months anniversary on Saturday?"

Blaine sighed and covered his face with his hand, "Yes, Kurt, I am aware."

"Were you sleeping?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Kurt, anniversary talk?"

Kurt chuckled, "Right, yes. So I was going to ask you how you feel about Chinese food. There's a really great place that just opened by my house and I was thinking we could go there."

"Yeah, sure," Blaine yawned widely, "I love Chinese."

"Great. And I'm paying, just so you know."

Blaine hummed, "Alright."

"How did your dinner go?"

"Remember that waiter from our first date? The one you totally chewed out and then turned out to be really open minded and great?"

"Yeah, why."

Blaine rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake up, "Well, turns out he's my dad's girlfriends son. We spent all afternoon playing Mario Kart. He's pretty good."

"That's crazy. So you guys got along? Nobody tried to kill you?"

"Shut up."

"Honest question."

"It was fine," Blaine curled in on himself slightly, "Carole's really nice and Finn's just goofy. I think they're coming over again next week."

"That's great."

"Yeah. How was serious talk with Sebastian?"

He could practically hear Kurt's eyeroll, "Basically what every serious talk with Sebastian has been lately. Going on about how he's apologized a thousand times - he hasn't apologized once, by the way - for how he treated you, and that I was being stupid holding this against him, we're best friends, he's not interested in you and he got Chandler off my back, blah, blah. I don't know." He sighed, "Part of me feels like I'm just being stupid by holding a grudge this long. But another part of me... He wasn't nice to you at all Blaine. And I hate that."

Blaine sighed, cuddling up under his blankets, "You want to know what I think?" Kurt hummed, "I think that if you want to forgive him, you should. Don't hold yourself back because of me."

"But he-"

"I know what he did, and yeah, it sucked at the time, but we're here now." He shrugged, "I don't hold it against him. He was just being a stupid, immature teenage boy."

"Am I being a stupid immature teenage boy by not forgiving him?" Kurt asked quietly. Blaine wanted to bury his face in the covers. 

"Not at all," he mumbled, "I think you're a great teenage boy. I also think you need to learn to let certain things go."

Kurt huffed, "It's just hard. Every time I think I can forgive him I think of that time that he made you cry so fucking hard and I just can't do it. And then I remember that he made you doubt me and I just..."

Blaine frowned, "Now, hold on one second," he sat up a bit, "Sebastian didn't make me do anything. He wasn't very nice to me, sure, but I'm the one who made me cry and I'm the one who made me doubt you. Sebastian just helped along the way, but that was all me. So just... Really. Don't ruin your friendship over me."

"Okay, we're going to go back to whatever bullshit just came out of your mouth, but I'm not hesitant just because of you. Yes, it's because he treated you horrible, but _he_ treated you horrible. I never thought he'd be so... Christ, saying 'mean' sounds like such an understatement."

Blaine bit his lip, "It's not... I'm not defending him. I just feel like you miss him, even if he was mean." Kurt chuckled, but it didn't sound too happy, "At the end of the day it's up to you. You know that. I just think that you'll feel better if you've forgiven him. And... I'm not saying to become BFF's with him right away but, I don't know, maybe one day...?"

"Why do you always make so much fucking sense?" Kurt didn't sound too annoyed, "Alright. I'll think all that over. And by the way, you didn't make you do any of that shit. He planted those seeds in your head, which means that it was his fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for any of his shit."

"Fine," Blaine mumbled, "Can I go back to sleep now?"

Kurt snorted, "Some boyfriend you are."

"'m tired."

"I'm just trying to have a conversation with you-"

"I'll call you tomorrow."

"Fine. I guess I'll see you then, asshole."

"Mhmm. Love you too."

He fell asleep before he had the chance to understand what he had just said. 


	15. Chapter 15

At exactly one o'clock in the morning, Kurt found himself knocking as loudly as he could on Cooper's door. For once he was glad that Cooper had extended that 'any time' invitation when he'd first moved out because holy shit did he need someone to talk to. 

He continued to knock, and considered calling out to his brother, but before he could Cooper was already opening the door with an aggravated look on his face. His hair was a mess, and he was practically naked, only a dirty pair of basketball shorts covering his bottom half. "Do you know what fucking time it is?"

Seeing Cooper in a state other than perfection brought Kurt an immeasurable amount of joy, but sadly he wasn't able to enjoy it as thoroughly as he would have liked due to the pressing matter at hand, "You said any time, it's not my fault you live an hour away asshole."

"Oh, insults, that's original," Cooper ran a hand over his face, "You know, you're going to be a dick after waking me up at stupid o'clock in the morning, then you can just fuck off a bit, okay?"

Cooper started to close the door, but Kurt didn't let him, putting his foot in the way and blurting, "Blaine told me he loved me."

That got his brother's attention, "He _what_?"

"I mean, he was half asleep at the time and he probably won't remember but I don't think I can forget and Jesus Coop, we've only been dating two months, is that even normal?"

With a loud sigh Cooper opened the door all the way and let Kurt in. Kurt hurried into the living room, falling on to the couch and dropping his head in his hands, "I just... This is all so fucked up Coop. I knew it was only a matter of time before things got fucked up, but God this is way too soon. I thought..." he shook his head, already feeling a headache coming on. 

Cooper grabbed a shirt that had been hanging over the back of his recliner, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Do you have vodka?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of coffee or tea, pipsqueak."

"Can you put vodka in the tea?"

Cooper disappeared for a few minutes and Kurt was once again left alone with his thoughts. Everything was jumbled in his head, his heart conflicting with his mind in the most horrible way. He heard a low whistling sound from the kitchen and hoped that his brother would actually spike his drink with alcohol. 

It wasn't that Kurt had never considered the idea of falling in love with Blaine. He had, _God_ , many times. But he always pictured that being in the future. A far off future, when they were both out of Ohio and maybe living together and actually fucking. 

He groaned to himself. He always did that. As soon as things got too emotional he went to the sex place. Things with Blaine weren't about sex, not in the way they had been with every other guy Kurt had ever been with, and that was incredibly fantastic and liberating. 

Also scary as hell, because without sex it meant that Kurt had to deal with everything else. Emotions, expectations, remembering certain dates, watching his mouth around Blaine's family and friends, trying so goddamn hard to be as perfect as Blaine deserved. And overall it wasn't actually that hard; simply being with Blaine made him want to be better, made him want to try. It was when he was alone or in situations like this when Blaine inadvertently put his heart on the line and expected Kurt to just... accept it. It was so scary and vulnerable that sometimes Kurt just wanted to bash his head against a wall. 

"Okay," Cooper placed a steaming mug in front of him and gestured towards it, "So, tell me what's going on in that fucked up little head of yours."

Kurt shook his head, "No. This was dumb, I shouldn't have come here. Why did I come to you, of all people?" Cooper's eyebrows shot up, and if Kurt didn't know better he would have thought his brother looked hurt, "I mean, no offence, but you're not exactly my favourite person in the world."

"Kurt, I'm serious. If you keep being a dick I will throw you out. Plus, you told me I was the best brother ever when you slept over a while back."

"Yeah, I was also drunk out of my mind that night." He rolled his eyes, blowing gently at his tea and watching Cooper cautiously from over the rim of his cup, "I guess I have nowhere else to go. I'm still pissed at Seb, Chandler's been avoiding me - and for good reason - and I'm not really close to any of the other guys. Plus I can't really talk to Blaine about this."

Cooper snorted, "Nice to know I'm your last resort. I'm really feeling the love, bro."

He rolled his eyes, "Give me a fucking break, okay? My boyfriend just told me he loved me while he was half asleep, which means he didn't know what he was saying. Does that mean that he actually meant it or that he was just speaking gibberish?"

"Oh, you actually want my help now? Thought I wasn't your favourite person."

"Fuck off."

"Kurt." The serious tone in his brother's voice scared him, "What exactly did you come here for. Because if all you're going to do is bitch at me, well, you know where the door is. Remember, it's 1am. I could be doing better things. Like, hey, what's that thing people do at night?" He snapped his fingers, "That's right! _Sleep_."

"I don't know why I'm here, Coop." He stared down at his mug, watching the steam rise, "I guess I just need my brother."

He thought he saw Cooper smiling at him, but he wasn't paying enough attention to know for sure, "There we go, some honesty for once. That's all I wanted to hear. Now," Cooper reclined back a bit in the chair he was sitting in, "Blaine told you he loved you."

Kurt groaned, "We were just talking, I was ranting and he was half asleep so he starting dozing off and he just blurted it out. Well, he mumbled it, really. But I still heard it." He took a hesitant sip of his tea and hissed when he found it still too hot, "Do you think he actually feels that way? Or was he delirious and not thinking?"

"Probably both," Cooper said immediately, shrugging,"You know how they say people are most honest when they're drunk? Well, when we're really sleepy it's sort of the same thing. So he probably didn't mean to say it, but my best guess would be that that's how he really feels." He watched Kurt carefully, as if he were going to explode. Maybe he was. "Is that a problem?"

"Maybe," Kurt shrugged, "I don't know. I feel like it shouldn't be, but at the same time... It's just more fucking expectations. Like, now I have to say that I love him back even if maybe I don't, and that's just bullshit in my opinion because... Because."

Both were quiet for a few seconds, sipping their tea that was a bit cooler. Kurt noted that Cooper had made his favourite strawberry tea. He hadn't even know that Cooper still kept some at his apartment. Finally, Cooper spoke, "Can you just be really honest with me for a second?" Kurt huffed, but then nodded. Cooper looked over his face and then leaned forward, "Do you actually love Blaine? Just," he raised a hand to stop Kurt from speaking, "Take a second and actually think about it before you say anything."

Did he love Blaine? It seemed a bit too soon into their relationship to know for sure. Yes, he knew he _liked_ Blaine very much, but love? He wasn't even sure if he knew the meaning of that word. Every person who was supposed to love him, who claimed to love him, had eventually screwed him over in some way. Sure, Blaine never had, but whose to say he wouldn't? Didn't everyone always say that Love Hurts? Could he even bring himself to the position of feeling love for Blaine when love had never done him any good in the past? 

Of course, Blaine had always been an exception for him. Right from the start he had been different from other boys, that had been what drew Kurt to him in the first place. He was different, he was special, he was someone that Kurt could break. 

"I think I could," he whispered, "But not... I don't love him right now. But I think I could fall in love with him."

"Well, there you go," Cooper clapped his hands together, "That's all you need to tell him. Don't feel forced to say anything that isn't true. Trust me, every time I tell a girl that I love her and don't mean it, I regret it."

For some reason the statement bothered Kurt, "Blaine isn't a girl," he hissed, "He's not one of your overly emotional psycho ex-girlfriends who doesn't think rationally until she's done something stupid. He won't go crazy and burn my collection of records if I tell him a little white lie."

Cooper shook his head, "You're missing the point. The point is not that Blaine is a girl and you need to watch what you say before he goes nuts. Look at it this way: if you had incoherently told Blaine that you loved him, would you want him to say he loved you back even if he really didn't?"

"Of course not," Kurt replied flippantly, "I would want him to be- Oh."

"Yeah, oh. And, by the way, telling someone you love them when you don't is not a 'little white lie'. It's a bigass fucking lie that could haunt you until your dying day. Trust me, I still get calls from that April chick every now and again."

Kurt nodded in understanding, a part of him hating how much sense his brother made and another being incredibly grateful for his advice, "So what do I do?"

"I can't tell you that," Cooper shrugged, "I'll probably say something stupid that will backfire on you later on. But I can say this: don't wait around. And don't avoid him. I get that you're freaked, but don't worry. Believe it or not, what you're feeling is totally normal."

"It is?"

"Yeah. I felt this way when my first girlfriend told me she loved me."

"Telling me that you felt this way too doesn't make it normal, it just lets me know that you and I are just fucked up."

Cooper chuckled quietly, shaking his head, "Are you at least feeling a little better now?"

With a nod, Kurt replied, "Yeah. I am."

"Then my work here is done. Do you wanna sleep over? I can get you some sheets, you can take the guest room."

Kurt nodded immediately, "Yeah, it's sort of a drive back to Dalton anyway." He smiled when Cooper got up to prepare the room and stood as well, "And Coop?" His brother stopped walking and turned to look at him, both eyebrows raised expectantly. Kurt bit his lip and then quietly said, "You're a pretty good brother."

Cooper awwed and then walked over to him and wrapped him in a tight hug. Kurt reciprocated cautiously, not able to remember the last time that he and Cooper had hugged. "You're not so bad yourself kiddo."

Things would be okay. Kurt was sure of it. One way or another, things would be okay. 

**

He didn't stay too long the next morning, not wanting to impose. The idea was re-emphasized when a half naked girl walked down the stairs as he and Cooper at breakfast, resulting in a bit of a playful spat between the brothers (or at least sort of playful. Kurt really couldn't believe that his brother had had a girl in his room and hadn't told him). As soon as he was done he said a quick goodbye, waving awkwardly to the girl who had draped herself all over Cooper the moment she walked in. Cooper told him that he was always welcome, but that it would be appreciated if he called first next time, and if the visit took place at a more reasonable hour. 

The road's weren't too busy and Kurt managed to make the trip in under the usual hour, dragging himself into Dalton and wondering if he should take a nap or simply power through the day. Deciding on the nap he trudged through the mostly empty halls of the dorms, glaring at anybody who smiled brightly at him. He still had no idea how he was going to approach the whole "love" topic with Blaine. 

Opening the door to his room, he dropped his car keys on his desk and then began to loosen up his boots. When he got rid of the shoes he walked over to his bed and flopped down on to it, an arm raised to cover his eyes. He stayed like that for a few seconds before frowning. Something wasn't right.

He opened his eyes and looked over to the side, groaning at the sight that greeted him. Sebastian and Chandler were on Sebastian's bed, both obviously naked (even though Kurt was spared the gory details thanks to the blanket covering their lower halves), Sebastian on top of Chandler holding his wrists against the bed. Both were staring at him with wide eyes. 

"Christ, can't you two do that later?" he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. That seemed to shake both of them out of their stupor, and they quickly rearranged themselves. Kurt winced at the squelching sound that was made when they separated. 

"You know, in our defence," Sebastian started, hopping out of bed completely unashamed of his nudity, and picking up his underwear from the floor, "You were gone when we started. So technically we were here first."

"Yeah, but I have a headache. So I win."

Sebastian frowned, "Where were you last night anyway?" He pulled the underwear up, thank God, wiggling his hips exaggeratedly. Kurt glanced towards Chandler who had his eyes glued on Sebastian's ass. He rolled his eyes. 

"Went to visit Coop."

"Why the fuck would you do that?"

"Because I fucking felt like it, that's why."

Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, "I thought you hated your brother." 

Kurt shrugged and covered his eyes with his forearm again, "Things changed. Just because I don't tell you shit doesn't mean that stuff doesn't happen. Something went down last night, Coop helped me through it."

"Did you and the boyfriend have a fight?"

"None of your fucking business." He paused for a second and then added, "And no."

He heard Sebastian clucking his tongue, "So what, you're just going to cockblock us and you're not even telling me what happened last night? I was worried, you know."

"Yeah, right. I'm sure."

"I was, you can ask Chandler."

Kurt shifted his arm so that he could see Chandler, still lying on the bed, sheets pooled at his waist and cheeks bright red, "Chandler, darling, was Sebastian incredibly worried about me last night? Did he talk to you about how horribly distressed he was that I had disappeared while he fucked you into next week?"

"Hey-"

"Look, I seriously just want to take a nap, okay? So if you two want to continue, go ahead, but please either be quiet or go to Chandler's room."

Sebastian muttered, "Fucking bitch, I try and be nice and this is what I get," as he walked around the room collecting his clothes. Kurt noticed Chandler watching him out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as the boy noticed he was caught he looked away. Sebastian threw a pair of underwear at Chandler's head, saying, "Come on, he's not going to leave and I'm not letting him block my cock. We're going to your room."

Without waiting to see if Chandler would follow, Sebastian walked out of the room, still only wearing his underwear. Kurt sighed, enjoying the few seconds of quite. The quite was interrupted by a cautious cough. 

"Kurt?" He glanced up and saw Chandler standing next to his bed, wearing his underwear and an unbuttoned shirt. His arms were holding his stomach in a way that reminded Kurt of how Blaine stood when he was feeling uncertain, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," he grumbled. Chandler cleared his throat, his blush returning. 

"Does it... I mean, are you bothered at all? About me and Sebastian?"

Kurt sighed and sat up on the bed, "Chandler..."

"No," the boy shook his head, smiling ruefully, "I know the answer. Don't- Don't worry, I'm not still convinced that we're soul mates or whatever. I guess I just miss you, that's all."

"Why did you say those things to Blaine?" the question had plagued him for quite some time. Chandler shrugged, his arms lowering to his sides. 

"I think you already know."

"Tell me anyway?"

Chandler bowed his head and chewed on his bottom lip, "All I ever wanted was for you to love me. I thought it wasn't that much to ask, but thinking back on it I know it was." He shrugged, "I'd known you longer. I don't know, I wasn't really in a right state of mind at that party. To be honest I'd had a bit to drink," he flushed, "But I guess I figured I had some sort of stake on you. I saw you and him dancing, talking, just _being._ You guys were what I had always wanted you and I to be and then Sebastian was telling me that Blaine was really insecure and that if I said the right things he would break. I just wanted you to love me." 

Kurt nodded, unsure as to how to respond. Chandler gave him a small smile and then nodded towards the door, "I have to get going. He's..." he shrugged, chuckling to himself. "I really like him. Not as much as I liked you, but I think I could get there." He looked at Kurt from under his lashes, "Don't tell him?"

"Secret's safe with me."

Chandler smiled, "You are happy, right?"

Thoughts of Blaine filled his head. Blaine's smile, his laugh, the way his eyes lit up when Kurt did something to surprise him, how soft his lips were, how shy he was when he pushed Kurt away and told him they should probably cool off. "Yeah." The reply slipped from his lips easily. Yes, Kurt was happy. Maybe happier than he had ever been. "Are you?"

"You know, I think I am." 

"I'm glad."

Chandler licked his lips, then leaned down and pecked Kurt gently on the cheek, "I'm really sorry, Kurt," he whispered, voice gently, "I... Can you tell your boyfriend? That I'm sorry?"

Kurt nodded, "Yeah, I'll tell him." 

With one final smile, Chandler straightened up and left the room, closing the door gently behind him. To Kurt, it felt like progress. 

**

Despite wanting to talk to Blaine about what had happened on the phone the other night, Kurt found himself buried in work the week leading up to his and Blaine's anniversary. Regionals were coming up, and Wes, David and Thad had gone completely crazy with the rehearsals. He also had several major projects due the next week, and he had to deal with Sebastian still attempting to become his best friend again. 

It wasn't that he and Blaine didn't talk at all. They still exchanged texts and short phone conversations. And it wasn't like Kurt was purposefully putting all of his work before his boyfriend. Besides, Blaine hadn't even brought up the whole "love" issue. Kurt just figured that they would talk about it on their date. 

**

Saturday came sooner than Kurt expected. It felt like one second he was working on his solo for the Warblers and the next he was choosing between which shirt he should wear that night. Sebastian was watching him from his own bed, an eyebrow raised in judgement, "Why does what you wear even matter? He's seen you naked."

Kurt glanced at Sebastian briefly before tossing both shirts on the bed, "If I tell you a secret will you get off my back about forgiving you and going back to the way things were?"

"Will it mean that we're friends again?" 

"Not... You know things will never be the way they were before, right?" Kurt asked, arms crossed over his chest, "We won't be going out to Scandal's together, we won't be fucking around, and I will probably never forget the fact that you kissed my boyfriend against his will. Are you sure you still want to be my friend?"

"Fuck, Kurt, do you really think that stuff matters to me?" Kurt scoffed, "Okay, maybe it does a little. But I just miss talking to you. We live in the same room and we barely interact anymore. Plus, you're kind of my best friend." Kurt looked over his face, finding honesty everywhere he looked. Sebastian pouted a bit and then smiled, "So, secret?"

Kurt chewed on his bottom lip for a second before whispering, "Blaine and I haven't actually had sex."

Instantly Sebastian's eyes bugged, "What?" he practically screamed, "Are you fucking serious? But I saw-"

"We just slept that night. It's... We don't do anything. Sometimes I grab his ass while we make out, but that's it."

Sebastian's eyes were as wide as his open mouth, "You're not kidding. You two haven't... Holy shit, Kurt. That means it's been like five months since you got any."

"Four." Kurt shrugged, "And I don't mind. Sometimes I miss it, but I want to wait for him. I refuse to put him in a situation where he's uncomfortable."

Sebastian watched him for a second, his jaw snapping shut. "You really have changed, you know."

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Kurt joked, going back to his shirt selection, "You have too, by the way."

"What the fuck ever, Anderson," Sebastian sneered, "I'm still just as fun loving as I've always been. Nothing's changed."

Kurt smirked, "Yeah, it has. Because you haven't fucked anyone but Chandler for the past two months."

Sebastian's jaw dropped again, "That's not true and you know it."

"Yes it is, and _you_ know it," he shrugged, "You know, if you like him you should ask him out. On an actual date." He pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing and shrugged on his light purple button up. "I have it on good authority that he would say yes."

"Nah," Sebastian waved him off, "He's still in love with you."

Kurt shook his head, buttoning up the shirt, "He's not."

"Whatever. I don't date, you know that."

"Yeah, and didn't I used to say the same thing all the time?" He smoothed the shirt down, "It's about finding the right person. Someone you break your own rules for."

Sebastian glared at him, "Why are you trying to help me out? I thought you were never speaking to me again or whatever."

Kurt shrugged, "Blaine told me that if I wanted to forgive you I should. It's a bit more complicated then that, but I guess this is me giving it a try," he shot Sebastian a small smile, "And as your sort-of-friend I'm telling you to ask Chandler out. You'll regret it if you don't and he finds someone else."

"You're so fucking weird," Sebastian grumbled. Kurt chuckled and then glanced at the time. He had to pick Blaine up in twenty minutes. Quickly he grabbed a vest and pulled it on and then ran a hand through his hair in order to style it a bit, spraying it with a bit of hairspray. 

"I'll be back late, maybe. If you're going to fuck Chandler go do it in his room, okay?" he called out as he left, managing to grab his keys, wallet and phone at the last second. He didn't hear Sebastian's response, too busy rushing to his car. No way in hell was he going to be late. 

He got to his car as quickly as he could, put the key into the ignition and started backing up. His phone rang, and Kurt considered ignoring it, but then realized that it might be Blaine saying that something had come up and so he picked it up, putting his foot down on the brakes, "Hello?"

"Are you busy tonight?" Kurt sighed at the sound of his father's voice.

"Yes, dad, I'm sort of busy."

"Change your plans. We want to have you over for dinner."

"You mean mom wants to have me over for dinner."

"No, _we_ do. I think we're due for another family chat."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Well, it's going to have to be another day."

"Why don't you just change your plans? It's not like we've never changed our plans for you."

"It's my two month anniversary with Blaine. It might sound stupid to you, but it's really important to me and it's really important to him as well. So, no, I'm not changing my plans. I'll come over on Friday next week, we'll talk then."

He heard his father inhale sharply but then he responded with a sharp, "Fine. Don't make plans that night," and then hung up the phone. Kurt tossed his phone into the passenger's seat and finally set off to Lima. Hopefully he wouldn't spend too much time thinking about his father and their upcoming family chat while he was out with Blaine. 

There were, after all, more important things the two needed to discuss.

**

When Kurt arrived at Blaine's house it was to find the boy on the front porch. At the sight of Kurt's car, Blaine dashed forward, practically throwing himself into the passenger seat. He pecked Kurt on the cheek quickly, "Hi, let's go, come on."

Kurt chuckled, "Hey, what's the hurry?"

Blaine rolled his eyes, "My dad and Quinn have been fussing over me all day. It's like, whatever, it's two months. They can fuss when it's six."

Kurt's stomach flipped at the thought of spending six months with Blaine. It wasn't an unpleasant thought in the least. "Well I guess we'd better head out then."

"Please."

**

They chatted pleasantly on the way to the restaurant, but Kurt could tell that something was off. Blaine was holding himself differently, a bit more sheltered, and the conversation never strayed from surface topics, things like how schoolwork was going, how his solo for Glee Club was coming along, the latest movie that Blaine had gone to see. Normally Blaine was going on and on about whatever Quinn and his dad were fighting about this week or what Puck had said the other day. Kurt wondered if it had anything to do with the "love" issue. 

He certainly hoped not because he wasn't sure if he could deal with having that conversation. 

The restaurant was nice. Not too tacky but not overly expensive. A place where both Kurt and Blaine could feel comfortable. The food looked decent, and the service was great. And still Blaine acted closed off. 

"So I was thinking I'd come watch you at Regionals." Blaine said as they waited for their food, sipping his water delicately, "Cheer you on and all that."

"I'd love that," Kurt replied, drinking some of his own water, "But Sebastian and Chandler will be there. Are you sure-"

"I'll be fine, seriously. I'm not a porcelain doll, Kurt. I'm not going to break."

"Actually, Chandler told me to apologize to you for him. For what he said at the party."

Blaine chewed on his bottom lip, "Maybe I'll talk to him at Regionals. Accept the apology in person."

Kurt watched him, a smile curling his lips, "You're such a good person, Blaine. Has anyone ever told you that?" Blaine cocked his head to the side, a shy smile appearing on his face, "Seriously. People just throw shit at you and what do you do? You pelt them with forgiveness and niceness. You're just... You're amazing."

With a blush, Blaine picked his cup up and drank some more water, "Thanks," he whispered when he was done, "So that's a yes to Regionals then?"

"Yes, Blaine, I would love it if you came to cheer me on at Regionals."

"What songs are you singing?" he asked, looking honestly curious. Kurt smirked. 

"Can't tell you that. It's top secret."

Blaine's eyes lit up, "Oh, is it for me?" Kurt's smirk just grew, "Are you going to sing me a love song, Kurt?"

They both froze at the L word, Blaine's eyes widening and his jaw dropping minutely. Kurt gripped the table tightly, his knuckles turning white. So that's what it was. That was why Blaine had been so strange and distant. Same reason as Kurt it appeared. 

"Kurt, I-"

"So you do remember," Kurt said quietly. Blaine looked down at his lap and nodded, "I wondered if you would."

"I... I guess I should explain," Blaine mumbled. 

Kurt shook his head, "You don't have to. We can just keep going as we are, forget it happened you know?"

"I don't want that," Blaine spoke, a bit louder this time. Kurt swallowed thickly, "I don't want to forget, but I also feel that I should explain. I've... I've been thinking about what I said all week." Kurt nodded, his heart beating fast, "And... God, this is hard to say. Um, I don't think I was entirely honest with you. When I said... that."

Kurt's heart stopped, "What do you mean?"

"Just that maybe I don't. Love you, I mean. Yet!" He quickly added the last part, hands going out in front of him to stop Kurt from speaking, "Yet. I think I could love you, eventually," he hastened to explain, "But not... I don't yet. So I'm sorry for saying that. And for freaking you out, if I did."

"You did," Kurt said, smiling a bit, "So you're saying you don't love me?"

"I think as a friend I love you very much," Blaine said, "But I'm not in love with you yet. We've only known each other four months. You're not..." he bit his bottom lip, looking up at Kurt shyly, "You're not disappointed, are you?"

Kurt thought about it for a second, very soon deciding that no, he wasn't disappointed at all, "I'm not," he said honestly, "To be honest I don't think I love you yet either. But I could, eventually. I think I could fall in love with you." He gave a short chuckle, "God, that's such a scary thought."

"Why?" 

"We're so young. But I think it's not as scary as I thought it would be. Scary, but not that scary. Does that make sense?"

Blaine nodded, sucking on his bottom lip, "I was so worried about coming out tonight," he whispered, "I thought you were going to be freaked out about me moving to fast. I guess I didn't really know what to expect."

"I was freaked out, initially," he replied, "But Coop calmed me down. He really helped me get my thoughts straightened out. As well as my feelings."

"So... We both agree that we don't love each other yet, but we could eventually?" Blaine asked as their food arrived. Kurt nodded eagerly. 

"One day. One day we will be in love. But just not yet."

Blaine grinned, thanked their waiter and the dug in. Kurt watched him fondly. Yes, one day he could love this boy. Maybe sooner than he thought. But he wasn't going to worry about that just yet. 

"I am, by the way." Blaine frowned when Kurt spoke, cocking his head to the side curiously, "Singing a love song. For you. I was going to invite you closer to the actual day."

Blaine's smile could have lit up the entire restaurant. Kurt smiled as well. Yes, he could definitely fall in love with Blaine one day. 

**

Kurt didn't get the chance to check his phone until he had pulled in to the Dalton parking lot that night. Blaine had kept him occupied with lively conversation the rest of the evening, and then kept him occupied in the back seat of Kurt's car when he'd climbed into his lap and licked his way into Kurt's mouth, right there in the restaurant parking lot. Eventually they'd separated, but not before both Kurt and Blaine both had large hickies on the sides of their necks. They'd kissed a bit more when Kurt dropped him off, but not long enough for Blaine's father to come out and start throwing stones at Kurt's car again. 

When he checked his phone it was to find that he had a voice mail from his father. He listened to it hesitantly, and then almost dropped his phone when he heard his father's voice saying, "Invite Blaine over for dinner on Friday. Your mother and I would like to meet him."

Kurt smiled and pressed the phone to his lips. It seemed that things were finally looking up. 


	16. Chapter 16

The Lima Community Center was bustling with people, way more than Blaine would have expected to attend a high school show choir competition. He was thankful for Puck and Quinn's presence beside him because he was a bit worried that without them he would have either gotten lost or chickened out and gone back home. 

His dad and Carole would be there in about ten or twenty minutes, another thing that Blaine was thankful for. That way he could sit right in between both couples and safely enjoy his boyfriend's regional performance. And Finn's he supposed. It had still been a bit of a surprise to find out that Finn was not only in the glee club at his own school but also the male lead, and that he was competing in Regionals against Kurt and the Warblers. Blaine's dad had been excited when he found out, deciding to make a "family" outing out of it. Blaine had some mixed feelings about the word _family_ being used to describe himself, his dad, Carole and Finn. Sure, he liked his dad's girlfriend and her son, but he just wasn't ready for them to be a family yet.

"Do you want some snacks?" Puck asked Quinn as they waited in line to purchase their tickets. Blaine kept pushing himself up on his tip-toes in attempts to find Kurt, but so far no luck. He wanted to text him and let him know that he was there and that he really wanted to see him. Yeah, he'd be seeing him after the performance, but he sort of wanted to wish him good luck beforehand.

Quinn shook her head no, so Puck turned to Blaine and asked the same question. Blaine shook his head as well, which made Puck groan and then mutter that he was going to get snacks anyway. Blaine lifted his head a bit as if that would help him locate a Dalton blazer through the large crowd. 

"I can't believe how many people are here," Quinn said, a hand coming to rest protectively over her ever growing belly, "They keep staring at us."

Blaine sighed, planting his heels firmly on the ground, "I think they're just trying to figure out which one of us is the baby daddy," Quinn chuckled at that as she rubbed her stomach and then shot a glare to an older man who had been staring at them particularly intensely. 

"Hey Blaine?" he raised in eyebrow to let her know that he was listening, "I'm really sorry that Puck and I couldn't do more for you in freshman year." Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but Quinn put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, "I know you keep telling us it's not our fault, and we know that. But... I still feel horrible. Especially know that we're in your shoes, everyone glaring at us and whispering behind our backs; mostly mine," she flushed, "I used to feel bad because that was happening and I felt like I couldn't do anything, but now it's happening to me and I keep thinking that I could have done something to help you."

"You did as much as you could," Blaine whispered, "And I know you think it wasn't enough, but to me it was. You guys stood up for me whenever you witnessed it happening, and I know that Puck was the one that blabbed to the principal about Karofsky throwing me in the dumpster that once," he shrugged, "I'm happy where I am. I like being home schooled, and I like that because of it you and Puck are going to be able to keep your baby without either of you dropping out."

Quinn wrapped an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder, "When you put it that way..."

"I just don't want you feeling bad for something you had no control over. Like I said, you did all that you could have. And everything worked out in the end, so it's okay. Please just forget any lingering guilt you have over whatever happened at McKinley because I never blamed you or Puck for that."

She nodded and they stepped forward to buy their tickets. Blaine insisted on paying since it was his boyfriend they were going to see performing and then they quickly escaped the crowd of people that surrounded the ticket booths. They saw Puck still waiting in line for his snacks and went to stand with him. Blaine tried to find Kurt once more but he was slowly resigning himself to not being able to see Kurt before the competition. 

"Are we all going out for dinner after?" Puck asked, "You know, celebrate whoever wins or whatever."

Blaine shook his head, biting down on his bottom lip, "Actually I'm going over to Kurt's after the competition," he blushed a bit, "I was supposed to go over last Friday but you know how my dad is about Friday Night Dinners. His parents want to meet me."

Puck let out a low whistle, "Shit. Things are really getting serious."

"Yeah," Blaine let out a small, disbelieving laugh, "Is it weird that I'm super nervous?"

Quinn shook her head, "You should have seen Puck every time he came over when my parent's didn't know I was pregnant. He looked like he was going to pee himself half the time."

"Well, that's encouraging."

"You'll be fine," Quinn assured as Puck finally stepped forward to buy his snacks. She and Blaine got out of the line to wait for him, "I'm sure they'll love you, and if they don't then it's their loss."

"Still not very encouraging," he sighed, "It's fine. I'm trying not to think about it so that I can enjoy the performance."

"Have you ever heard Kurt sing before?" Puck asked, already elbow deep in his bag of popcorn. Quinn clucked her tongue at him and Blaine chuckled. 

"Other than singing along to songs on the radio, no," he shrugged, "But I know he's amazing. You'll see."

They found an empty bench near the front entrance and sat down to wait for Burt and Carole. Puck munched loudly on his popcorn and Quinn started talking about something that Blaine wasn't really paying attention to. He wondered if he should text Kurt yet or if he should wait until just before he went on. He decided to text him already, just in case. He pulled his phone out and opened up his conversation with Kurt, typing in a simple _Good luck! I'm rooting for you -B_ before hitting send. 

" _Hell_ -o," Quinn said quietly, elbowing Blaine in the side as he tried to put his phone away. He glared at her, but she wasn't looking at him, instead pointing towards something off to the side. He frowned and followed her line of vision until he had an eye full of one of the most attractive men he'd ever seen. Tall and broad with wavy brown hair and piercing blue eyes, he was dressed casually but crisply. Blaine wanted to turn back to Quinn and remind her that they really shouldn't be pointing out hot guys because they both had boyfriends and Quinn's was sort of sitting right beside her, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. 

The man was talking to somebody, and Blaine managed to look away just long enough to see an older man with a grey suit that looked a lot like the one he was shamelessly objectifying and a slim woman that looked incredibly familiar. He didn't linger too long on them though, his eyes going back to the man as a blush creeped up his neck. He felt like a horrible human being, ogling a man while at his _boyfriend's_ show choir competition but the man was just...

Staring right at him. 

Blaine's eyes widened and he looked away, shocked and embarrassed at being caught. He couldn't stop himself from glancing up towards the man again, this time to find him smiling and putting his hand on the arm of the woman beside him. He turned towards Puck who was glaring at Quinn as she continued to stare at the man, "Oh my God, he's coming over," she whispered. 

"What?" Blaine squeaked, fighting every instinct he had that told him to look over at the man again, "Are you serious?"

"Dead. Oh my God, I can't believe it. Honey, does my hair look okay?"

Puck huffed, "Are you seriously asking me, your boyfriend, the father of your child, if your hair looks okay because some random guy is walking towards us?" 

Despite the panic that was setting into Blaine's veins he couldn't help but laugh a bit at how put out Puck seemed. He glanced away and sure enough, the man was walking towards them with a large smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. The man looked friendly, but Blaine knew that appearances could be deceiving. Could the man tell that Blaine was gay and was now coming over to beat him up because he'd been staring? 

"Hello," okay, so the man was standing right in front of them and Puck and Quinn instantly stopped squabbling. Blaine looked up, his heart picking up speed both because this man was just so stupidly good looking and because he was a bit scared for his life, "You're Blaine, right? Blaine Hummel?"

Quinn gasped and Blaine nodded a bit dumbly, "Y-Yeah. How um... How do you...?"

"I'm Cooper Anderson," the man stuck a hand out, "Kurt's brother."

Blaine's jaw dropped a bit. He glanced at the man and woman behind Cooper, the realization of why the woman seemed so familiar hitting him like a ton of bricks. "Hi," he said, trying to find something more clever as he took Cooper's hand, "It's um, nice to meet you."

Cooper grinned and then gestured to the people behind him, "And these are my parents, Grant and Elizabeth Anderson."

This was... Blaine stood up on shaky legs and extended his hand towards the man, "Mr. Anderson, it's a pleasure to meet you." The man said nothing, just shook his hand and then glanced towards his wife. Blaine swallowed his nerves and then faced the woman, extending his hand to her as well, "Same to you Mrs. Anderson."

The woman smiled and cooed when he took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. He heard Quinn asking Puck why he never did that to women, but it only barely reached him. He felt put on the spot, unable to lean on Kurt for support at a time when he really needed it. 

"You're here for the show, I presume?" Kurt's mother asked, glancing towards Kurt's father for a second. Blaine swallowed thickly. 

"Did Kurt not tell you I was coming?" he asked, gaze shifting between the three Anderson's. Kurt's father cleared his throat and stood up a little taller, broad and intimidating. Blaine felt like he was going to pee his pants. 

"We came to surprise Kurt. He doesn't know we're here." Kurt's father's voice was low and smooth, very similar to Kurt's brother's. Blaine chewed on his bottom lip, a thought crossing his mind. He didn't voice it, but it seemed he didn't have to, "We were aware that you would be here, however we didn't think we'd see you before dinner."

Blaine nodded, "Okay." He wished there was something else to say, but his mind was blank. Kurt's parents gave him an odd look as if he were going to continue, and he hated to disappoint them. He suddenly understood why Kurt's relationship with his parents was so strained. They seemed like the sort of people that despised anything being less than what they expected, and Blaine could imagine that having a gay son - especially one like Kurt - had not been expected. 

"Are you here with your parents?" asked Mrs. Anderson after the silence had stretched for a bit too long. 

"No. I mean, not yet. My dad and his girlfriend are on their way."

Mr. Anderson sneered, "Your parents are divorced?"

Something about the way he said it struck Blaine the wrong way. He stood up straighter, narrowing his eyes into thin slits, "Would there be a problem if they were?" he asked, careful to keep his tone biting but not cold. Mr. Anderson glared right back. Mrs. Anderson waved a hand dismissively, smiling even though Blaine could tell she was annoyed. 

"Of course not. That's not really our business anyway, is it Grant?"

Kurt's father grunted, looking away from Blaine, who was sort of starting to wonder why he had been invited over to dinner at all. "My mom died when I was eight. That's why my dad has a girlfriend."  
The look on Mr. Anderson's face was priceless, and he was sure that Kurt would be very happy when Blaine told him about it, "Oh, you poor dear," Mrs. Anderson said, bringing a hand up to Blaine's face, "I'm terribly sorry darling. That must be a dreadful thing to go through."

Blaine made sure to keep his eyes on Kurt's father when he bit out, "It was." 

The man shifted uncomfortably, although his face did not betray the discomfort in any way. He turned to his wife, "Elizabeth, we should find our seats."

"Where are you sitting?" Cooper asked, glancing towards Blaine's friends, "If we're not close together maybe we can switch the tickets so our families can sit next to each other."

Blaine wasn't too sure if that was a good idea, "Really, Cooper, that is such a hassle," Mr. Anderson said, eyes lingering briefly on Quinn's pregnant stomach, "Besides, we will see Blaine here after the performance. You are still coming over for dinner, are you not?"

Clenching his teeth, Blaine tried to be polite when he replied, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Mrs. Anderson gave an excited little squeak that sounded a bit forced to Blaine, but he said nothing as she waved goodbye to him and his friends, being led away by her husband. Cooper rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Sorry about them. Guess it explains a lot about Kurt, doesn't it."

"A bit," Blaine whispered, his eyes trained on Kurt's father's back. Yes, actually, it explained a lot. 

"Well, I guess I'll see you after the show. Oh, and if you see Kurt don't tell him we're here. I really want to surprise him." With that he jogged off after his parents, leaving Blaine standing with his face scrunched up in confusion and Quinn exaggeratedly fanning herself while Puck glared daggers into Cooper's back. 

Blaine wasn't too sure if Kurt not knowing that his parents, especially his father, were present was the best for him, but he decided to comply with Cooper's wishes. He sat down next to Puck and pulled out his phone, heart still racing from what had just happened. Honestly he was a little surprised at how hostile Kurt's father had been. From what his boyfriend told him they had been getting along a little bit better recently. 

_Are you here already? Come backstage and wish me good luck in person ;) -K_

He smiled down at the text and then elbowed Puck gently, "Hey, I'm going to go backstage for a bit, wish Kurt good luck and all. Can you tell dad and Carole where I went?"

"Sure, man," Puck nodded, placing an arm around Quinn, "Go 'wish Kurt good luck'."

Blaine rolled his eyes and started to walk down to where he knew the backstage entrance was. He wasn't as surprised as he should have been that he was able to get in without any trouble. Behind the entrance was a long hallway that was full of doors, incredibly intimidating doors. The fact that people who possibly used to torment him were behind one of those doors made his palms sweat. 

He was about to text Kurt to ask where he was when Kurt himself stepped into the hallway, clad in his Dalton blazer and looking up and down the hallway. Blaine waved at him, causing a grin to spread across Kurt's face. They met halfway, Blaine with his arms already open waiting for his hug. Kurt didn't disappoint, wrapping his arms tightly around his boyfriend and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Blaine hummed happily and then pulled back a bit to press a kiss to Kurt's lips. 

"Are you ready?" he asked, reaching down to tangle their fingers together. Kurt shrugged and started walking back towards the Dalton green room, Blaine following him happily. 

"I guess. Everyone's sort of freaking out because Hunter and Sebastian were supposed to sing a duet but Sebastian suddenly decided that he doesn't want to, so there's that. But I'm ready, yeah," he smiled down at Blaine, "Are you okay with going in? I think there's some people that want to talk to you."

Blaine was pretty sure he knew who those people were, and even if he didn't really want to he still nodded and let Kurt lead him into the Warbler's green room. Blaine could tell the moment he stepped in that they were having problems, from the way that Kurt's friend Thad was shouting at the brunet that he remembered as Hunter to Chandler and Sebastian arguing quietly in the corner to Sam and Jeff making out on the couch despite another brunet (he was pretty sure his name was Nick, but he just wasn't too sure) screaming at them to help out. 

With an eye roll Kurt dragged Blaine further in, heading straight for Sebastian and Chandler. They got close enough to hear them and Kurt put a finger up to his lips and winked at him, smirking a bit. Blaine frowned but figured that Kurt was trying to listen in when he nodded at the two boys. 

"I told you I don't care about that Seb," Chandler was saying, his hands thrown up over his head. Sebastian was sighing and glancing off to the side in annoyance as if Chandler was being incredibly stupid. Blaine saw Kurt hide a smile.

"Yeah, but I do. It doesn't matter what you say, I'm not singing it."

"But we _need_ you to," Chandler groaned, "I swear to God Sebastian, if you don't I will. And then the romanticism of this move will be mute. Your choice."

Sebastian opened his mouth wide and then snapped it shut, eyes narrowing. He raised a finger and then lowered it, and apparently that was the final straw because Kurt burst into laughter, "Oh my God," he breathed out, raising both hands in defense when both boys turned to glare at him, "Sorry guys, didn't mean to eavesdrop, this is just. Oh, man."

"No, it's not," Sebastian bit out, "If you get to sing a love song to your boyfriend then I want to sing one to mine," Blaine's eyebrows shot up at that, and he glanced over to Kurt who nodded in confirmation, still smirking, "And I can't do that if I'm dueting with Hunter, of all people, about blowing his whistle."

Kurt snorted, and Blaine couldn't hide the small smile that was slowly growing on his face, "And _I_ said that I don't care if you sing a song about blowjobs with Hunter. You can sing me a love song at Nationals, but right now we need you to stick to the set list. Please?" he pouted, "It'll be more romantic than a love song, I swear."

Blaine giggled, which seemed to alert Sebastian and Chandler to his presence for the first time. He blushed a bit when they both turned to stare at him with wide eyes. Kurt rolled his eyes and then nodded towards Blaine, "Okay, I know this is a very important discussion, but I brought Blaine in here for a reason," he gestured a hand at Chandler, "You had something you wanted to tell Blaine?"

Chandler nodded, his mouth a bit open and stepped forward, "I-" he glanced between Kurt and Blaine, down to their linked hands, and then back at Sebastian. He chewed on his bottom lip, "Can I do this later? Sebastian actually singing is really important right now, and-"

"Chandler."

The boy huffed, "Fine, alright. Blaine," he smiled at Blaine, and it seemed genuine, "I'm sorry for those things I said to you. They were... unnecessary. And rude. I was jealous and wasn't thinking right. So... yeah. Sorry."

It wasn't exactly the apology that Blaine was expecting (he wasn't actually expecting any apology to be honest) but it was still nice, "Forgiven," he smiled, extending his hand, "I think we got off on the wrong foot," he explained when Chandler stared at it in confusion. The blond smiled at him shyly and then shook his hand gently. 

"You're fucking weird Hummel, did you know that?" Blaine blinked up at Sebastian in confusion, and the taller boy rolled his eyes, "See, even that, you have no idea what I'm even talking about. But you just... Chandler and I put you through so much shit, especially me, but you just... forgive us, just like that. I know you haven't officially forgiven me," he put his hands above his head as if surrendering, "And I know I don't deserve it. But I also know that you told that boy of yours to give me a second chance," he shrugged, "You're pretty cool, you know?"

Blaine blushed and ducked his head, "I thought I was weird."

"You're weird in a cool way," Sebastian clarified, "And, for what it's worth... I am sorry. For... Christ, for everything."

Blaine nodded, "I- I forgive you too Sebastian."

Kurt cleared his throat, tugging Blaine closer to him by the hand. Blaine smiled and cuddled up close to him, resting his head on his shoulder. He didn't care if people thought he was weird. Yeah, Sebastian still made him a bit uncomfortable, but he had finally come to terms with the fact that it wasn't actually his fault that Sebastian had kissed him and acted like that around him, and acknowledging that somebody had hurt him made it much easier to forgive them. At least that's what Blaine thought. 

"Well, I'm glad we all forgive each other," Kurt said, squeezing Blaine's hand, "But we still need you to sing in order to win Sebastian. So..."

Sebastian glanced between the three boys and then over at where the rest of the Warblers were arguing. "Ugh, whatever," he said, obviously annoyed, "Don't know what I was thinking turning down a solo anyway. Fuck it, I'll sing. Did you hear that fuckfaces?" he called out louder, "I'll fucking sing, are you happy now?"

There was silence for a second before Wes rushed over to them, "Oh thank God. Okay, Sebastian come with me, we need to go over a couple of things before you go on." 

Sebastian sighed but nodded, following Wes to the other side of the room. Chandler gave both Kurt and Blaine a small smile before following his boyfriend, leaving them alone. 

"Um," Blaine coughed a bit, "I should probably go see if my dad and Carole are here," he blushed, glancing around the room and when he saw that nobody was looking his leaned up and pressed a kiss to Kurt's lips, "Break a leg."

Kurt smirked and pulled him in for a longer kiss. "It's for you," he whispered against your lips, "I know you already know, but I'm just reminding you that it's for you. My song."

With a smile, a nod and one final lingering kiss Blaine left the green room feeling lighter than he had felt in a while. He practically floated down the hallway and didn't even think about the kids from McKinley that were in the same building as him, or about Kurt's father who obviously hated him, because everything was going great and he honestly didn't think he could be happier. 

**

New Directions performed first, and Blaine felt a lot more comfortable when he saw that none of his former bullies were amongst the people on stage. He actually didn't seem to remember a lot of their faces, the only person he recognized being Finn. He'd heard Finn sing before, under his breath while they played video games and sometimes when he was in the bathroom, but never had he heard Finn sing the way he was at the moment. Blaine didn't recognize the song, but it suited Finn's voice to perfection. 

His duet partner was a small brunette that Carole instantly pointed out as Finn's girlfriend. Puck scoffed when he saw her and mumbled something about diva's that made Quinn elbow him roughly. Blaine thought they sounded lovely together. 

When they finished their duet they moved into a group number that included Finn and his girlfriend singing the majority of the song and then they finished off with a solo by Finn's girlfriend. Not the most diverse set, but still good. Blaine gave them a standing ovation, and was proud of himself when he didn't blush despite the fact that nobody else stood up.

The next group to perform was from another school and they were good as well, even though they only had one guy singing their entire set. Blaine wondered if the one of the things the judges looked for was for more than a couple of voices to be showcased, because if they did then both New Directions and this other school were kind of screwed. 

And then the Warblers came on stage and Blaine sat a bit straighter. He glanced to his left where he knew Kurt's family were sitting, smiling a bit when he noticed Cooper pointing something out to his mother. Mr. Anderson didn't display any emotion. Blaine sighed and turned to the stage where about twenty blazer clad boys had just arranged themselves in a perfect formation, hands behind their backs and small smiles gracing all of their faces. 

They started with Sebastian and Hunter's duet, a duet filled with flirtatious looks between the two boys, the audience, and the rest of the Warblers. Blaine blushed at one point when Sebastian pressed himself up behind Kurt and smirked directly at him. He wasn't even sure if Sebastian could actually see him or if it was just a coincidence, but it was still making him a little hot under the collar to watch his boyfriend dancing around with a bunch of attractive boys while they sang about blowing each others whistle's. 

Blaine watched Kurt through the entire second song, which was led by one of the brunet Warblers (he really just couldn't keep any of those guys straight). He two-stepped adorably and sort of shimmied his shoulders every now and then. It was funny how he could go from being so... provocative in the first number to so adorable in the second. And adorable was not a word that Blaine ever thought he'd use to describe Kurt. 

Finally their final song began, Kurt stepping forward into the spotlight and looking up so that he was staring directly at Blaine while the Warblers started harmonizing in the background. The harmony sounded a bit familiar but he didn't fully recognize the song until Kurt started to sing the first verse.

Immediately tears sprung to his eyes as he watched Kurt sing his heart out on stage, his eyes never leaving Blaine's for a second. It was a [slower version of the song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1-Yl50nCX4) than Blaine was used to hearing, but somehow that just made it better. It was like Kurt had totally stripped himself down not just for Blaine but for everyone in the audience, and it was so, so beautiful. Words could not even describe how Blaine felt sitting in that audience as his boyfriend sang about how perfect Blaine was - and he knew it was for him, he knew Kurt was saying he was perfect because Kurt had told him, and no, Blaine wasn't perfect Kurt was because _oh my god_.

It was like hearing Kurt sing took away every insecurity that had ever plagued him. He knew Kurt didn't mind that they were taking it slow, that he didn't mind when Blaine cancelled their dates because Quinn had a break down or Puck needed someone to shoot the breeze with, he didn't mind anything because he liked Blaine, because he felt like he could fall in love with Blaine and that was just such an amazing feeling but sometimes it wasn't enough. Sometimes old doubts crept into Blaine's mind, sometimes he could hear Karofsky and Azimio, or Sebastian and Chandler's voices in his head and he wanted to cry. But this was just... it was like it was erasing that part of him. 

Maybe not forever. It was very possible that it was just for now, that just for this moment he was completely free of everything anyone had ever said about him, including himself, and all that mattered was that Kurt thought he was perfect, that Kurt was singing about him being perfect. Maybe later the feelings of insecurity would return, they always did after all, but right at that moment it didn't matter at all. 

Kurt sang and sang, his voice floating high and dropping low and even taking away the lyrics the entire performance was just so breathtaking. Kurt's voice was amazing, the way it curved to the song and made it his, how even though there were twenty boys singing at once Kurt managed to stand out, to make it obvious that he was the lead not just because he was standing in the spotlight but because he exuded so much confidence and power that it just made it impossible to look away. 

By the time the Warblers were taking their final bows and exiting the stage Blaine was already half way up the middle aisle of the auditorium, with tears quietly escaping his eyes. He sprinted out, sprinted back to that long hallway where the Warblers were already gathered, slowly walking towards their green room, chatting excitedly as if they hadn't just released a million emotions inside of him. 

Right at the front was Kurt, not talking to anyone, just smiling to himself and then smiling at Blaine when he saw him running towards him. He rushed up to meet him halfway, arms molding Blaine to his body like he had a hundred times in the past. It felt like coming home. 

Nobody said anything to them, just let them stand in the middle of a hallway of the Lima Community Center of all places and revel in the fact that they were young and they had found each other; that it didn't matter what other people thought, that it didn't matter that Kurt had made mistakes in the past or that sometimes Blaine thought he was so stupid and immature that he didn't even want to leave his bedroom. Those things weren't there as they embraced each other, and no matter what happened to them in the future, no matter if they stayed together or if they eventually walked out of each others lives, Blaine knew that that moment would forever be imprinted in his mind as the most intimate he ever was with anyone. 

**

The Warbler's won Regionals, how could they have not, and Blaine knew that Finn would be disappointed but he didn't really care at the moment. He was still riding the high of having his boyfriend sing a beautiful and romantic song to him, a song that had literally brought him to tears and just... He still couldn't find the words for it. 

"You're a wonderful singer," Carole complemented Kurt after the competition was over. Kurt smiled from where he was standing next to Blaine, their fingers tangled together and squeezing each other tightly, grounding each other. "I'm not surprised you won, you're all very talented."

"Thank you," Kurt replied with a bit of a shy smile on his face, and Blaine really wanted to kiss him. Not even on the mouth, just on the cheek, on that cute dimple that had appeared at the side of Kurt's mouth. He couldn't, of course, not with half of Lima in the room, but it didn't stop him from wanting to. 

Blaine's dad placed a heavy hand on Kurt's shoulder, "She's right kid. You've got a gift."

"Oh, wasn't he just wonderful!" came the cooing voice of Mrs. Anderson as she rushed in to press a delicate kiss to Kurt's cheek. Kurt's fingers tightened where they were squeezed around Blaine's, his eyes wide in alarm as his mother pulled away from him and extended a hand to Burt and Carole, "I'm Elizabeth Anderson, Kurt's mother. You must be Blaine's family."

Carole flushed a bit but Burt just nodded and shook her hand gently. "Pleasure to meet you Elizabeth," he said gruffly. Kurt's mother smiled at him and then turned to Carole, hand still extended and graciously accepted her quiet, "Pleasure."

"Mom," Kurt hissed, "I didn't know you were coming tonight."

She waved a hand flippantly, "Well how could we miss it, dear?"

"Easily," Kurt replied, "The same way you missed all my past competitions. Don't tell me that dad's here too, you might give me a heart attack."

And just like that it was like the spell had been broken. Blaine leaned in a bit closer to Kurt whispering, "Kurt, your parents came to support you. It's nice." Kurt forced a smile at him and then turned back to his mother. 

"I'm very glad you came," he said tightly, and Blaine bumped his shoulder in thank you. Mrs. Anderson raised a hand to her cheek and sighed happily. 

"You two are so darling really," and it sounded fake, very, very fake but she was trying and from what Blaine knew that was something new for her, "I do hope you don't mind us stealing Blaine here away. We've just been dying to meet him, Grant especially."

Those words made Blaine's eyebrows raise, the memory of Kurt's father sneering at him and treating him almost as if he were inferior somehow coming back to mind. Blaine's father didn't seem to see his son's surprise as he nodded, "No trouble at all. We've all met Kurt, it's only fair you get to meet Blaine as well. Just..." he turned towards Blaine, "Make sure you're home by midnight, alright?"

Blaine nodded, feeling like he'd probably be home much sooner then that. Mrs. Anderson clapped her hands together, "Oh, I'm so excited. You know Kurt, you really need to start coming around more often, we barely see you up at that private school of yours," she patted his cheek again and then turned to Burt and Carole, "It really was a pleasure to meet you. We'll have to have you all over for dinner one day."

"We would be honoured," Burt replied, glancing at Blaine cautiously who just shrugged minutely. Mrs. Anderson seemed content with that response and turned on her heels to walk away. Kurt sighed and muttered, "Guess that's our cue," then thanked Blaine's dad and Carole for coming to the show and asked them to tell Finn that he was fantastic. Blaine waved goodbye, once again promising to be back by midnight and following Kurt towards the exit of the center, trying with all of his might to hold on to that feeling he'd had less than an hour ago backstage as he and Kurt held each other. 

**

Kurt hadn't been lying when he said that his house was bigger than Chandler's. From where Blaine was standing on their front lawn he couldn't even see the roof of the house. It made him wonder what Kurt thought of _his_ house, but he pushed the thought away. He had already felt the waves of distaste radiating off of Kurt's father earlier, he wasn't sure if he could afford to become self-conscious at the moment. 

"Hey," Kurt whispered as they walked onto Kurt's giant porch, "I'm really sorry in advance for... well, for my dad." He shook his head a bit, "I thought he was making progress, what with the whole inviting you to dinner but..."

Blaine smiled, "I'm sure it'll be fine," but even he didn't really believe that. Kurt sighed and opened the door to the house, and they were both greeted warmly by the smell of chicken roasting. Blaine took a deep breath, "That smells fantastic. Your mom must be an amazing cook."

"She is," Kurt agreed, "Sadly you won't be tasting her cooking today, seeing as she was at Regionals for the past two hours. I'm guessing she hired a chef for the day to do the cooking," he rolled his eyes and led Blaine into the dinning room where the rest of his family were already seated. Blaine noticed that there were only two empty seats with plates in front of them and that they weren't beside each other. Kurt stared for a few seconds and then shook his head muttering quietly to himself.

Before he could reorganize the seating arrangements Blaine put a hand on his arm and whispered, "It's fine Kurt, really," and sat down in the seat closest to Cooper. Cooper smiled at him and mouthed 'sorry' as Kurt sat down across from them. 

The room was silent for a while, and if Kurt hadn't told him that many family dinners were spent in silence he would be worried that it was his fault. He clasped his hands together under the table, tugging a bit at the sleeve of his shirt and hoping that nobody noticed. The last thing he needed was Kurt's mom telling him that he was going to stretch his clothing. 

"Well this is nice," Mrs. Anderson finally said, "I'm so glad you could join us Blaine, really."

Blaine sent her a shy smile and ducked his head a bit at the flush covering his cheeks. Mr. Anderson cleared his throat, glanced at Blaine and then asked, "Is the food almost ready Elizabeth?"

Just like that Mrs. Anderson was up and out of the room, and Blaine could just feel everyone staring at him. He glanced to his side and saw Cooper staring with an almost awkward looking smile on his face, looked forward and saw Kurt staring with wide, imploring eyes; looked to his left and saw Mr. Anderson looking thoroughly unimpressed with him, eyes narrowed a bit as he fiddled with the fork closest to him. Blaine swallowed thickly and looked down at his plate. 

"So, Blaine," Cooper's voice was far too chipper to be real, and it sort of reminded Blaine of the way that Mrs. Anderson talked, "Kurt tells me that you're home schooled," Blaine chewed on his bottom lip but nodded, "What's that like?"

He shrugged, "It's fine, I guess," he said, and he really wished that his voice was a bit stronger but he wasn't exactly sure how to achieve that. 

"Home schooled?" that was Mr. Anderson, leaning forward with his eyes still narrowed, "You don't attend that... McKinley High? With all those friends you went to see perform today?"

"Dad," Kurt whispered, "Don't-"

"I did attend McKinley," Blaine said, as strongly as he could, "But for personal reasons I had to leave. I went to Regionals today to watch my dad's girlfriend's son and Kurt perform."

"Interesting," Mr. Anderson said, almost under his breath, "And, if I might ask, is there a reason that you didn't just... go somewhere else to school? I mean, Dalton is only ten minutes away. I'm sure they would have looked past all your... personal reasons," the way he said those last words made Blaine's blood turn cold. He tugged a bit harder at his sleeve. 

"My dad's a mechanic," he whispered, "We didn't- Home schooling was the only choice."

"I see."

"Dad, come on," Kurt said, his voice much stronger than Blaine could ever hope his to be, "Can't we just, I don't know, not do this? Just for today?"

Mr. Anderson didn't take his eyes off of Blaine, "What? I'm just trying to get to know your boyfriend. Tell me, Blaine, what grade are you in?"

"Um, I'm a junior, technically, but I'm taking some senior classes."

"Ah, so same age as Kurt," Blaine squirmed a bit in his seat, "Do you know what you're going to do in the future?"

"Really dad? What, are you going to ask him what his intentions are with me next?"

"Oh, I don't have to ask that Kurt. Remember that phone call I got a while ago? I know all about intentions."

Kurt looked like he was about to blow a vessel and Blaine tried to save the situation by saying, "I actually don't know just yet what I want to do when I'm older. I think I want to go to university, but I'm not sure for what."

If Mr. Anderson had a comment about that he wasn't able to say it because Mrs. Anderson and a tall man dressed as a chef had just walked into the room carrying a very large amount of food. Blaine glanced up at Kurt who was shaking his head, his elbows resting on the table and looking thoroughly unimpressed. Blaine pursed his lips, hoping to God that Kurt was unimpressed with his father and not with him. 

Dinner was served and the chef made a quick exit. Mrs. Anderson gave everyone a bright smile as if completely unaware of the tension filling the room, "So what are you boys talking about?" she asked as she started cutting into her chicken daintily. 

"Blaine was just telling us about how he's home schooled," Mr. Anderson said, causing Mrs. Anderson to turn towards Blaine with a huge smile on her face. 

"Are you? I've never met anyone who home schooled their kids. What's it like?"

Blaine shrugged, "It's like regular school but without the people," he replied quietly. Something tapped against his foot and he glanced up to see Kurt smiling at him encouragingly. Blaine smiled back and let Kurt wrap his ankle around Blaine's, "I like it. It gives me a lot of free time."

"And I assume you spend it with those friends of yours that we met?" Blaine glanced over at Mr. Anderson, sitting up straighter. "How old are they?"

"They're my age, sir."

"I see."

The judgement was practically rolling off of him and Blaine felt himself pinching together in anger. He couldn't believe that this man was just judging his entire life even though he knew nothing about him. He wanted to reply, but there were simply no words. 

"So how did you and Kurt meet?" asked Mrs. Anderson, her bright voice filling in the silence that had followed Mr. Anderson's comment. Blaine shrugged, looking down at his untouched plate of food. 

Thankfully Kurt took that one, "At the Lima Bean. It was... I don't know. Like fate."

"You still believe in fate, son?"

Kurt slammed his hands against the table causing everyone to wince, "What the fuck is your problem?"

Mrs. Anderson squeaked in protest and Blaine's head shot up just in time to see Kurt shooting a death glare at his father. He heard Cooper shifting a bit in his seat, "I'm not quite sure I appreciate your tone young man."

"Why did you even invite Blaine over if all you were going to do was judge him." Kurt pointed his fork at his father, "You knew he was home schooled, you knew his dad was a mechanic, you knew that his best friend was pregnant, don't act like you didn't. Was this all just some ploy to piss me off or something? Because I have to say, it's working."

"You know, I'm appalled that you think so little of me," Mr. Anderson sat up straighter in his chair, "I invited him over because I wanted to get to know the boy who managed to finally get you to settle down. He must be very good for you to give up your slu-"

"Grant," Mrs. Anderson hissed, "Really, is now the time-"

"No, it's fine mom. Come on dad, say what you were going to say. Call me a slut, I know you were going to. I know that's what you think of me; just the big, gay, promiscuous slut that can't keep it in his pants, isn't that right?"

Blaine looked down at his lap, his cheeks burning. Never had he thought that the night would come to this. He thought... Kurt had told him that he and his dad worked things out, that things were still awkward but they weren't as bad as they used to be. 

"I wouldn't think that if it weren't true," Mr. Anderson replied, almost flippantly. Kurt clenched his jaw. 

"I told you to fuck off once dad, I'm not afraid to do it again."

"Kurt, your language," his mother's pleas went unheard. 

"You know what, I don't need to explain anything to you. Blaine doesn't owe it to you to impress whatever fucked up standards you have. He's my boyfriend and just because you treat him like shit isn't going to change that." Kurt looked like he was going to explode.

"Kurt, please," he tried, "It's fine. Your dad-"

"My dad is an asshole and you know it," he spat out, "You have no right to judge him," Kurt told his dad, "Absolutely none. I don't even know why you did this. What were you trying to prove, huh dad? Because let me tell you, if it's that you're a dick then you shouldn't have bothered because I already knew that."

Mr. Anderson clenched his fists, "Kurt, may I speak with you privately for a moment?"

"No, you can't." He glanced over at Blaine and then shook his head, "No, screw this. I'm taking Blaine home. And I'm going back to Dalton for the night," he stood up, shoving his plate away, "You know dad, I really thought you were going to try. Just this once, just for me. I thought that after we talked-" he sighed, "I thought you were going to try and be my dad for once. Obviously that's just a totally foreign concept to you."

"Kurt, sit down, right now," Mr. Anderson barked. 

" _Why_?" Kurt screamed, "So I can listen to you subtly insult my boyfriend for the next hour? Sorry dad, I'd rather not subject Blaine to any more of your venom, but thanks for the offer."

"Kurt," Blaine whispered, "Kurt, please, I'm not offended."

"No, of course you're not, but you should be," he leaned across the table and took Blaine's hands in his, "I'm so sorry for this. I'm serious. If I had known it was going to end up like this I never would have let you in this house." He turned to his dad, "Did you hear that dad? He's not offended. He should be, there should be smoke coming out of his ears and he's not offended. You have judged literally every aspect of his life and he's not offended." 

"Now listen here-"

"How many times do I have to tell you that _you_ need to listen?!" Kurt let go of Blaine's hands and stalked towards his father, "You know, when we talked a few weeks ago I was all ready to start fresh, to forget all the shit you put me through because you honestly sounded like you wanted to try. But obviously not. So whatever dad. You can just fuck off for all I care. I'm done here."

" _Look_ ," Mr. Anderson's voice was loud, his face bright red as he stared up at Kurt, and Blaine really really wished he wasn't there, that he wasn't the cause of all of this, "I know you don't understand this Kurt, because you're a teenager and you don't have children, but when you have certain hopes for your son and those hopes aren't fulfilled it's- it's hard. Alright? Is that what you want me to say? Blaine," Blaine squared his shoulders and looked at Mr. Anderson a bit worriedly, "It's very hard for me to accept that my son is dating you because I always wanted him to settle down with a nice girl. When that didn't happen I accepted the fact that he was gay and that he liked sleeping around, I didn't like it but I accepted it. And now he's walking around with a boyfriend and I have absolutely no fucking clue how to deal with it."

"Grant, please, your language-"

He turned back to Kurt, ignoring his wife, "So I apologize for not knowing how to deal with things. I'm sorry for being human, Kurt."

Blaine glanced between father and son, his heart clenching in his chest as he saw Kurt open and close his mouth like a fish out of water. He looked over at Cooper and Mrs. Anderson and found them both staring at their plates as if nothing was going on. He sighed and cleared his throat, "Mr. Anderson?"

The man turned and looked at Blaine with wide eyes, "Look, I'm really sorry Blaine, but I'm not sure if now is the best time."

"Can I just say one thing?" he asked, wringing his hands together nervously. The man sighed but then nodded, waving his hand at him, "My mom died, when I was eight. I know I already said that earlier but... Sir, my mom died. When I was _eight_. It's just... I know it must be very difficult for you to have had certain expectations for Kurt and not have those met. But, with all due respect sir, at least you still have him here. I know it's not the same, in any way, and I really hope I'm not overstepping, but don't you find it amazing that you even have a son you can argue with?" 

"Blaine," Kurt whispered, "Blaine, what are you-"

"I just think that you're both putting too much stock into what _you_ want. Mr. Anderson, I understand you wanting Kurt to settle down with a girl and have a family, because it's a respectable wish for any father to have for his son. But Kurt is gay, and maybe you could accept that when it was a far away thing, something he did while he was at Dalton and that you never had to see, but you need to learn to accept that here and now. Because that's not going to change. And Kurt," he chewed on his bottom lip, "You said it yourself, it's going to take time for you and your dad to work things out. I understand that you're upset with him, and you have every right to be. But you shouldn't let things like this ruin what could be a good relationship with your father. If you know it's going to take time then you need to let it take time."

He glanced at everyone around the table and then whispered, "Thank you very much for dinner Mrs. Anderson. I apologize for not eating very much of it, but I'm sure it was lovely." He then nodded at Kurt and made his way out of the house. 

When he reached the outside he stopped at the porch steps and sat down, burying his face in his hands. He didn't understand how things could have been going so good and then suddenly so bad. He wished things weren't like that, wished that for once everything could just be good. He sighed and blinked away the tears that were pooling in his eyes. 

Someone opened and closed the door and then Kurt's familiar figure settled beside him. Blaine shifted a bit so that they were sitting closer. "I'm sorry," Kurt whispered, "That was... I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Blaine replied, voice hoarse, "Every family has their issues."

Kurt let out a deep breath, "Still."

Blaine moved so that his head was resting on Kurt's shoulders, "Is your dad okay with you being out here?"

"We're going to have another talk," Kurt replied heavily, "Just the two of us, without mom or Cooper there. You're right, it's going to take time but... I don't know." He carefully placed an arm around Blaine's waist, "I know that I'm tired of things being like this, I just don't know how to make them better."

They were quiet for a few seconds, just relishing in the warmth that came from both of their bodies. Kurt spoke again, "That was amazing," his voice was quiet, "What you said in there. You're amazing."

"I don't even know where it came from," Blaine replied, equally quiet, "It just sort of slipped out. Is your dad upset at me?"

"Not at all." Kurt leaned his head against Blaine's, "You know you don't give yourself enough credit, right? You're much stronger than you think you are."

For the first time in his life, Blaine didn't have a single argument ready, "Thank you."

They continued to sit in silence until finally Kurt stood up and held his hand out, "Come on," he said, "I'll drive you home. You must be hungry."

The drive home was quiet, Blaine thinking over everything that had happened that day. He thought about his feelings as Kurt sang _Perfect_ to him, and thought about how helpless he had felt as Kurt and his dad argued and how strangely amazing it felt to say those things to Mr. Anderson and to Kurt, how liberating it was not to hold his tongue for once. 

It was strange to think back on the Blaine that had met Kurt, and at the Kurt who he had met initially. He'd never believed that someone could change so drastically in such a short period of time, or that somebody could cause such a change in a person. Obviously he'd bee wrong. 

Blaine's driveway was still empty when they returned, his dad and Carole obviously still out with Finn, Quinn and Puck. Blaine stared up at his house and then looked over at Kurt unsure of what to say. 

Thankfully Kurt always knew what to say, "I'm really sorry for all those things my dad said to you," he said, turning the car off, "He's... I'm going to talk to him when I get home. I'm sure he didn't mean any of that, he just doesn't know how to deal with me having something serious."

"I know," Blaine replied, "But it's still nice to hear you defending him."

"I'm not-" Kurt sighed and then chuckled quietly to himself, "I can't make any promises but I'm pretty sure that my mom will want to have you over again sometime. You can say no if you want to."

Blaine shook his head, "No. If your parents invite me over again then I will come over again. I want you and your family to start getting along better," he shrugged, "Just do me a favour? Next time I'm invited over have a serious conversation with your dad first? I wasn't really offended by what he said, but it did bother me that I walked into that unknowingly."

"I promise," with a smile Kurt leaned over and kissed him gently on the mouth, "Now, as much as I would like to continue revelling in how amazing you are, I really should get home. My dad has a bad habit of not being patient."

"Alright. Call me later?" he pecked Kurt again quickly and when Kurt confirmed he walked into his house with a large smile on his face. 

Yeah, it hadn't been the best day despite it's amazing start, but like he told Kurt these things took time. And he was willing to be there for his boyfriend every step of the way. 


	17. Epilogue

It was interesting how life sometimes threw a curve ball at you, something you weren't prepared for that just totally changed the entire outcome of the game. Sometimes you could see your future, bright and clear, right in front of you and then somebody grabbed you by the shoulders and spun you around and your future was something completely different, something you didn't expect at all. 

For Kurt Anderson Blaine Hummel was the curve ball that grabbed him by the shoulders. Before Blaine Kurt's entire life looked like it would be a constant repeat of high school, living off of partying and sex and alcohol, maybe eventually delving into deeper drugs, never having to work a day in his life because his parents would always fund him no matter what he did. He'd only have to see his parents once a year, and he'd probably be drunk for the reunions which would make his father threaten to cut him off but he never really would because the Anderson ran in certain circles, and the money they funneled into Kurt's bank account kept him quiet. 

If he ever married anyone it would be Chandler, who loved him unconditionally and who would let him fuck around on the side even though it killed him every time Kurt came home smelling like another man. Maybe one day Chandler would start fucking around too, but Kurt highly doubted that would ever happen. 

He'd never go to college. He'd never amount to anything. If he was remembered for anything it would be for being the guy who never took anything seriously and who was found passed out in his lover's bathtub, probably from an overdose. 

And then Blaine. Blaine swerved into his life, a curve ball when he was expecting a screwball and everything changed. 

Nobody could have told him six years ago that he would be standing at the back of a church, palms sweaty as he ran them down the front of his tuxedo about to be married to the love of his life he would have laughed. Because Kurt Hummel didn't believe in love, mainly because nobody had ever loved him. 

And then Blaine. 

"You're going to ruin your jacket, you know," his father muttered quietly, standing next to Kurt with his hands clasped behind his back. Kurt looked him over, noting the boutonniere that matched the wedding party's and the smooth grey tux that made his father look as sophisticated as he had when he himself got married. Kurt nodded absentmindedly, clenching his hands together. 

"We're about to start, dad, you should take your seat."

Grant Anderson looked him over for a second before shaking his head, "I was just talking to Burt, and he said that he's giving Blaine away," he shrugged, "Frankly I'm a bit hurt that you didn't ask me to do the same."

Kurt sighed, "Dad, I didn't even know if you were coming, not with the way you reacted when I told you we were engaged. And how you reacted when I told you that we were getting married in a church. Why on earth would I ask you if you would give me away?"

"Because I'm your father, Kurt," he replied firmly, "And you're probably the only son I'm ever going to see married. Besides, I was just worried that you and Blaine were rushing into this marriage thing. Blaine's only just starting his career, and that job you have can't be making you that much money. I just thought you should wait until you were more financially stable, that's all."

Kurt rolled his eyes, but smiled to himself. Always an excuse for everything, "And the church?"

"Well, we're atheists Kurt. How did you expect me to react when I found out that my gay son was getting married in a church?" he scoffed, "Nobody told me it was the church that Blaine's parents got married in; if I had known that I wouldn't have said anything."

Shaking his head gently Kurt turned to smile at his father, "You know what would be better next time?" His father raised an eyebrow, "If you just said that instead of making me think that you'd regressed three years in our relationship."

He could have sworn his father blushed as he mumbled, "Yeah, well," and it just made Kurt laugh. He pursed his lips together and then said, "I would love it if you gave me away, dad."

One final smile, a pat on the shoulder, and then Blaine and Burt are there and Blaine looks absolutely stunning. Hair slicked back, wearing a light beige tuxedo that Kurt knew complimented his own dark brown tuxedo beautifully. They stared at each other for a few seconds, the moment feeling unreal. 

"Hey, why don't you two waste time staring at each other lovingly when you're actually married, huh?" Burt teased, nudging Blaine's side. Blaine rolled his eyes at his dad, but nodded, standing a little straighter and gesturing for Kurt's father to open the doors into the sanctuary. They smiled at each other one last time before Kurt turned to face the now open doors the led into the large room. 

Everybody stood up as his father walked him down the aisle, Blaine and Burt following them close behind. He noticed his mom and Carole standing in front of their seats at the front of the church and waved at them. His mother waved back, wiping tears from her eyes with a handkerchief, but Carole didn't even seem to see him, her eyes glued on Blaine and Burt as a couple of tears escaped her eyes as well. 

Kurt reached the front of the church mere seconds before Blaine did, only having enough time for Cooper to give him a quick pat on the back before he and Blaine were standing side by side in front of everybody, their hands linking together out of instinct as they turned to face the priest. 

The man started speaking, his voice dry and dull, but Kurt could barely hear what he was saying. Instead he focused on Blaine standing beside him ramrod still, his lips quirked into a small smile and his hand squeezing tightly around Kurt's. 

"You look beautiful," Kurt whispered as the priest droned on and on about how wonderful marriage was and how great it was that Kurt and Blaine were in love. Blaine flashed him a quick glance, a small blush creeping up his cheeks. Kurt had to admit that he loved the fact that Blaine still blushed after all these years. 

"So do you," Blaine replied out of the corner of his mouth, and Kurt felt himself blushing. 

Their ring barer came up, holding the soft pillow that Blaine had picked out to hold their rings. Kurt grinned down at the five year old girl, the spitting image of her mother, as she shifted on her feet. She was obviously nervous, but it was adorable all the same. 

They turned to face each other after taking the rings off the small pillow. Kurt felt his heart racing in excitement as he stared at Blaine for the last time as just Kurt Anderson. "Blaine," he started quietly, clearing his throat so that everybody could hear him, "Blaine Hummel. You are... the love of my life. I don't know- God, I wrote this all down but now I can't seem to remember what I was going to say," Blaine chuckled along with the rest of the guests. "I guess the truth is that I can't even put words to how amazing you are, or to how much I love you. You... My life was going nowhere fast when I met you, but you swooped in and saved me without even knowing you were doing it. You make life worth living," Blaine swallowed thickly, tears starting to well up in his eyes, "And I cannot tell you how proud I am to be standing up here, with you, in front of all these people, pledging myself to you for as long as we both shall live."

Blaine grinned, a tear running down his cheek. Kurt reached out and wiped it away, "Kurt Anderson, I don't even know what to say to you. I think you said it best; words can't even begin to describe you or my feelings towards you, but I guess I'll have to try." Their guests laughed again. "You always tell me that I saved you without knowing it, but I think the truth is that we saved each other. Before you I wasn't really living, I was just sort of being. Then suddenly you were there, and you were challenging me to be better. You said everything I ever needed to hear before I could tell you that I needed you to say it. You made me believe in myself, and I will never stop thanking you for that."

They smiled at each other, now both through teary eyes as the priest asked Kurt if he would take Blaine to be his lawfully wedded husband, to honor forever, to cherish and to hold, in sickness and in health until death part them. "I do," he said thickly, sliding the ring onto Blaine's finger with shaky hands. Blaine gasped out a small half laugh half sob. 

Blaine was then asked the same question and he wiped his eyes quickly before saying a quiet, "Of course I do," and sliding the ring onto Kurt's finger. The metal was warm from being clasped in Blaine's hand and it fit around Kurt's finger like a glove. Like it was meant to be there. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mr. Hummel-Anderson. You may kiss the-" the priest rolled his eyes and waved his hands, "Just kiss."

It wasn't their longest kiss, or their most passionate kiss, but it was easily their most wonderful kiss ever. They parted to the sound of whoops and hollers. Blaine managed to whisper, "Hey, husband," under the roar of the crowd, and that just made Kurt kiss him again. 

Pictures came next, but those past in a crazy blur of who goes where and who's taking what picture with who. When they received their prints two weeks later Kurt told Blaine that his favorites were the one where Blaine was surrounded by his family, Burt and Carole each under one arm and Finn standing behind all three of them and pulling them close together, the one with Blaine and Puck and Quinn's daughter Beth, who had been their ring bearer, the little girl smiling brilliantly as Blaine pressed a kiss to his cheek, and the one where Kurt and Blaine stood on opposite sides of a tree, leaning around to see each other with absolutely giddy looks in their eyes. Blaine said his favorites were the one of Cooper giving Kurt a piggy back, of Sebastian and Chandler each pressing a kiss to one of Kurt's cheeks as Kurt stood in the middle with a disgusted look on his face and the one of he and Kurt kissing in front of the same tree from before, hands clasped tightly together. 

The reception was a blur as well. Kurt briefly noticed Finn and Puck arguing over who got to give their best man speech first since they were both technically Blaine's best man, briefly noticed Quinn and Beth dancing happily together, briefly noticed the way that Chandler kept rubbing his own ring finger as well as Sebastian's and staring up at his long time boyfriend expectantly, briefly noticed the way that Blaine burst into tears as his father gave a speech that was only slightly less emotional than the one that Kurt's father gave. 

And then they were in the hotel room, giggling as they undressed quickly without even thinking about the wrinkles that would be left in their freaking wedding suits the next day, whispering things like, "Husband," and "We're married," and "Oh my God, this is real," as they kissed each other everywhere. Kurt spent a very long time, probably far too long kissing the small gold band around Blaine's ring finger, and Blaine paid him back by spending the exact same amount of time doing the same to him. 

They didn't have sex though, not that night. It was silly, probably, because wasn't that what couples always did, they had sex on their wedding night? but they didn't. And it was still perfect, the way they kissed each other everywhere and then just fell into bed, curled up close to each other and fell asleep before they could even make it under the covers.

When they woke up the next morning, still tangled together, Blaine pressing kisses to Kurt's collarbone and whispering, "Good morning husband," Kurt felt a wave of emotion almost stronger than anything he had felt the day before. He brought a hand down to link his fingers with Blaine, bringing the hand up to gently kiss the wedding ring there. 

It was such a tender moment, a moment where both of them were so full of love that Kurt knew he would remember it for the rest of his life. He felt a little silly when he mumbled, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you," because they were married, he'd already committed to spending the rest of his life with Blaine, he'd already said those exact same words when he said yes to Blaine's proposal. But he still said it and he still meant it, maybe more than when he'd said it before they were married because now it was _real._ He didn't just want to spend the rest of his life with Blaine, he was going to spend the rest of his life with Blaine. 

And then Blaine whispered, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you too," and everything was just so perfectly in place that Kurt didn't think anything else could be better.


End file.
